The Dichotomy of Sefiras Haomer: A Dual Avodah

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April 08 2010
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"You shall count for yourselves - from the morrow of the rest day, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving - seven weeks, they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week you shall count, fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal-offering to Hashem" (Vayikra 23:15-16) 

The above pesukim, from Parshas Emor, which were read both in Eretz Yisrael and in Chutz La'Aretz on the second day of Pesach, portray Sefiras HaOmer as a chovas hayachid - a personal obligation for every Jew. With regard to another mitzvah to count - the count of the years towards Shemitta and Yovel, the Torah uses the singular form of the verb to count - vesafarta, while with regard to Sefiras HaOmer, the Torah commands us with the plural u'sefartem. The distinction is that the count towards Shemitta and Yovel is a communal mitzvah performed only by the singular Beis Din in their capacity as emissaries of Klal Yisrael. Sefiras HaOmer, on the other hand, is incumbent upon every individual and therefore the Torah uses the plural u'sefartem (see Menachos 65b).  

Furthermore, according to some of the Rishonim and Achronim, Sefiras HaOmer is of an even more personal and individual nature than other verbal mitzvos. For example, the Beur Halacha (489:1) cites the opinions of Rashi, Levush, and Pri Chadash who maintain that the general rule of shomeia ke-oneh does not apply here. This means, that while with regard to other mitzvos which require verbalization, such as Kiddush, one person may recite and the other people in the room may fulfill their obligation by simply listening, when it comes to Sefiras HaOmer, each individual must count for themselves. 

Although from the above-cited pesukim it is apparent that Sefiras HaOmer is a personal obligation, in Parshas Re-eh it appears that Sefiras HaOmer is a communal obligation. If, as we mentioned above, the verb to count in the singular form implies that it is a communal obligation in which one body of people performs it on behalf of Klal Yisrael while the plural form implies that it is a separate commandment for each individual, then the commandment to count Sefiras HaOmer in Parshas Re-eh: "shiva shavuos tispor lach" (Devarim 16:9) written in the singular form would imply that Sefiras HaOmer is indeed a communal obligation and not a requirement for each and every Jew. 

Why does the Torah present this mitzvah in Sefer Vayikra as a personal obligation, while in Sefer Devarim it is presented as a communal mitzvah? 

Let us point out other differences between the way the mitzvah is presented in Parshas Emor and the way it is presented in Parshas Re-eh and in that way shed some light on the above question and on the mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer in general. 

In Parshas Emor we are only commanded to count the days of Sefiras HaOmer, while in Parshas Re-eh we are commanded to count seven weeks, without any mention of the number of days (for an elaboration of this distinction, see Sefas Emes on Menachos 66a).  

The Gemara teaches us: "Abaye says it is a mitzvah to count the days and it is a mitzvah to count the weeks" (Menachos 66a). Why does Abaye mention them as separate mitzvos rather than simply state "it is a mitzvah to count the days and the weeks". Perhaps he is alluding to the fact that the Torah mentions the idea of counting days and weeks separately. Based on this dichotomy, the Beis HaLevi (shu"t 1:39) suggests that if a person misses a full day of counting, although he may not continue counting the days of Sefiras HaOmer, perhaps he would be permitted to count the beginning of each week with a beracha given that it is a separate mitzvah and he did not forget an entire week.  

There is an additional difference between the way the mitzvah is presented in Parshas Emor and the way it is presented in Parshas Re-eh. The mitzvah to count in Parshas Emor is preceded by the commandment to bring the Korban HaOmer and is followed by the commandment to bring the Shtei HaLechem on Shavuos. On the other hand, in Parshas Re-eh the mitzvah to count the Sefiras HaOmer is preceded by a discussion of the Yom Tov of Pesach and followed by the Yom Tov of Shavuos. 

Why does the Torah associate the Korban HaOmer with the individual obligation and the mitzvah to count days wile the Yom Tov of Shavuos is associated with the communal obligation and the mitzvah to count the weeks? 

HaRav Hershel Reichman Shlit"a suggested to me based on the writings of the Shem M'Shmuel that the progression from Korban HaOmer - coarse bran, to Shtei HaLechem - made of fine wheat, represents the personal growth of each individual during this period (see Abarbanel). During this time of the year we strive to improve our spiritual level from coarse and underdeveloped (as we were when we left Egypt having descended to the forty-ninth level of tum'ah) to the refined level we reached at the time of Matan Torah. Such a process must be slow and deliberate, carefully calibrating one's growth from one day to the next. 

The Shem M'Shmuel explains that the reason the counting of the Omer cannot be fulfilled through Shomeia Keoneh is that the idea of growth is so personal and individual that it cannot be expressed by anyone else (we find a similar concept with respect to viduy - see Tur). Therefore, according to Abarbanel and Shem M'Shmuel the counting in Parshas Emor beginning with the counting of the Omer and the proceeding onward to the Shtei HaLechem can be referred to as a tikkun gavra. 

The counting in Parshas Re-eh, on the other hand represents the growth and development of Klal Yisrael as a nation, culminating in the unified nation receiving the Torah at Har Sinai where we all stood together "as one person with one heart". Unlike the individual days in Parshas Emor, in Re-eh we speak of weeks which represent a united sum total. We are not evaluating the progress of each individual but that of Klal Yisrael as a whole. The Torah therefore uses the singular form referring to the entire nation when counting the weeks. 

Sefirat HaOmer is a balance between each person's tikkun gavra and the unifying experience which lead to Kabbalas HaTorah. These two ideas are inseparable for without a personal tikkun we would be unable to be a part of the experience of Kabbalas HaTorah. At the same time a tikkun gavra cannot be complete with feeling a sense of responsibility and connection towards the entire Klal Yisrael and the Chachmei HaMesorah.

Venue: Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh

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