Easy Sefira Reminder

There's along running mitzvah in Jewish Life, Counting the Omer, Sefirat Haomer. We're supposed to do it from the second night of Passover until just before Shavuot, seven weeks, forty-nine days, though it's done at night.

In the days of the Holy Temple, the Jewish people would bring a barley offering on the second day of Passover (Leviticus 23:10). This was called the "Omer" (literally, "sheaf") and in practical terms would permit the consumption of recently-harvested grains.

Starting on the second day of Passover, the Torah (Leviticus 23:15) says it is a mitzvah every day to "count the Omer" – the 50 days leading up to Shavuot. This is an important period of growth and introspection, in preparation for the holiday of Shavuot which arrives 50 days later.

Shavuot is the day that the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and as such required a seven-week preparation period. The commentators say that we were freed from Egypt only in order to receive the Torah and to fulfill it. Thus we were commanded to count from the second day of Pesach until the day that the Torah was given – to show how greatly we desire the Torah.  Sefirat Haomer complete article

For the first thirty-five years or so when I was trying to get into the swing of being a Torah Observant Jew, Sefirat Haomer was my greatest failure. Not once did I succeed in counting the full 49; I never even got close.

The first time I succeeded in Counting the Omer was when someone signed me up for phone message service. After that I began setting up my phone to send me a message every night. Actually, even though the count starts Saturday night, after Shabbat, I've already programed my phone. See the screenshot above.

My phone is fine most nights, but not Leil Shabbat, Sabbath Eve and the last night of Passover. Then I put up a sign across from where I sit, when my husband goes to synagogue. Bli eyin haraa, not to tempt the evil eye, it has worked so far.

For weeknights, I go high tech, and for Shabbat, I stick with low tech. Gd willing, this year will go well.

I hope this helps you.

Chag Kasher V'SameachHave a Kosher and Joyful Holiday

S'firat Ha'Omer, Counting of the Omer Tip

There's a long-running mitzvah that begins every year the second night of Passover, S'firat Ha'Omer, Counting of the Omer. We begin to count up to the Shavuot, Giving of the Torah. It's sort of like a "countdown," but we count up until 49, yes, seven weeks.

I must admit that this mitzvah was one of the hardest for me to succeed in accomplishing. It took me decades to manage to count every single night until I made it to forty-nine, 49. I'd usually forget pretty early on. It started getting easier when I got a cellphone and was set up with a reminder service. Nowadays there are lots of email and cellphone apps and services you can sign up for. And they usually automatically consider you signed up each year without having to sign up again. But even that wasn't perfect, since my phone and computer are off on Friday Night, the Eve of the Sabbath plus the last night of Passover.

Then, finally, I came up with a homemade low-tech solution. I started posting a sign on the closet just across from where I sit while my husband is in shul, synagogue on Friday night. This helps me remember, thank Gd. I already have the sign up and waiting for this coming Thursday and Friday nights, the last night of Pesach and Leil Shabbat. Gd willing I will notice it on time to make the blessings.

Book Review: The Orchard by Yochi Brandes

When I was offered a review copy of the English translation of Yochi Brandes's The Orchard, which is her fictionalized version of the life and contributions to Judaism of the revered Rabbi Akiva, I wasn't sure if I should accept it.

From what I could gather, Brandes's approach to Judaism isn't what I call "mainstream," aka Orthodox. Her degree is from Machon Schechter, which is the Israeli academic institute of Conservative Judaism in Jerusalem. Her teaching of Bible and Judaism has been in Conservative and Reform schools and institutes. It's also important to note that the book is marketed as fiction, not history nor theology. That's why I decided to read The Orchard. It provides a "maybe this is what happened."

I'm not at all an expert in that period of time, the Sanhedrin and Rabbi Akiva. But since I've annoyed my neighbors over the years, when we learn about Lag B'Omer, the Period of Sefira and the Plague which killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva's students, because of my unconventional opinions, I hoped that Brandes's book would cast light. Ironically, that very famous story about Rabbi Akiva doesn't make it into Brandes's novel. Nor does the story of Rachel's coming to visit her husband and then turning back after seeing how joyfully he learned and taught.

Instead we see the very human side of the sages of the time and the political and personal intrigues. How much is true or fantasy? We will never know. I've been studying Bible for years, and I'm used to the idea that Judaism and the Jewish People were founded by humans with frailties. I don't feel threatened by the possibility, not at all.

The Orchard is written in first person as if Akiva's wife Rachel is speaking. This makes sense, since even the most conventional and fawning stories of Rabbi Akiva show her as the main character, the power behind the scene. Before I go any further, I must say that the translation by Daniel Libenson is fantastic. I have no idea how the book flows in Hebrew, but I was very impressed by Libenson's writing.

I definitely enjoyed reading The Orchard and recommend it. It's a fictionalized account of the times of Rabbi Akiva and Bar Kochba after Jerusalem was conquered by the Romans. My guess is that it's probably more realistic than the saccharine fairytale stories many other publishers offer. That's my opinion. You may agree or disagree. I suggest reading The Orchard before voicing yours.

The Orchard

Hapardes Shel Akiva in English
Authors: Yochi Brandes
Daniel Libenson (translator from Hebrew)
Publisher: Gefen Publishing House
Format: Paperback
ISBN 10: 9652299308
ISBN 13: 9789652299307
Catalog Number: 930-7 
Number of Pages: 392
Year Published: 2017

Simple Low-Tech Sefira-Count Reminder

I probably posted about this before, but since it does repeat, no harm to be repetitive.

Counting the Omer, Sefirat Ha'Omer was one of the most difficult religious tasks for me to master. Decades after taking on Torah observance, aka Orthodox Judaism, I hadn't once managed to count the 49 days or even a week of them. To be honest, I was barely aware of the mitzvah in the early years and don't remember even hearing about it. So I didn't teach my kids, either.

Around fifteen years ago, I started getting a reminder on my phone as an SMS, but then I'd get stuck on Friday nights when the phone was off. So, the past few years I leave a sign up on the closet across from where I sit/collapse when my husband goes off to shul. I usually notice it, B"H. One night I didn't, but I suddenly noticed our guests looking at it rather strangely. Quickly I said the blessing and counted, and then I told them what it is.

Counting The Omer, Looking Forward to The Next Holiday

Reminder for Counting the Omer when phone and computer are off. I've been leaving a "sign" right over the television, a place my eyes wander for the past few years. I find this to be the best way of remembering to count.

The Counting of the Omer, Sefirat Ha'Omer, is a pretty long process. It's 7 X 7 = 49, seven complete weeks long. And the numbers go up and up each night.

The Counting of the Omer begins on the second night of Passover and it ends just before the Shavuot Holiday. In Hebrew it is much more interesting, because seven, week, satiated and Shavuot, which means "weeks" or "oaths," are all written from the same root:

שבע

There's nothing like Hebrew as a brilliant language with so much meaning however you combine letters. There's no real "gibberish" in Hebrew. Every simple two or three letter combination can be linguistically interpreted somehow.

As we begin counting on that second night of Passover, we know that in forty-nine days, seven times seven weeks, we will all swear our allegiance to Gd, accept the Torah and be satisfied with it, Gd willing.

It's an amazing concept, and it repeats every year. Yes, it's connected to the commandment that we each must feel ourselves as having left Egypt and joined with Gd and Gd's Commandments to us. We first search for and destroy the chametz, forbidden leaved products, and then we start anew with matzot, מצות, which are linguistically, mitzvot מצות Gd's commandments. This is either confusing or comforting and satisfying in how it connects the Holy Days.

Passover celebrates our no longer being slaves of Pharaoh, and Shavuot celebrates Gd's giving us the Torah and our emergence as a People.

Even though the 49 days of the Omer is supposed to be a time of national mourning, there are, davka, two modern holidays in the middle, Israeli Independence Day and Jerusalem Day. These are the modern Holy Days that parallel the development of the Jewish People today. We've reclaimed the Holy Land as Ours! We are now a State/Nation after two thousand years of exile. And these significant days are during the forty-nine of the Omer. Gd controls timing, which is a reminder of how holy Israeli Independence Day and Jerusalem Day truly are.

Chag Sameach!!

Easy Sefira Reminders

The Torah in Haiku

Over the years I've tried lots of ways to remember to count "Sefirat Haomer." And finally, I found the simplest way possible, which works all but on Friday night and the last night of Passover. I just set a special alarm on my phone. And for the last night of Passover and Friday nights, when I don't use my phone, I paste up the, number where I'll see it. At least I hope I'll see it.

Chag Kasher V'SameachHave a Kosher and Joyful Holiday

One of the Things I Love About Israel!

The Sefirat Ha'Omer Count on the Egged Buses.

I took this picture tonight on the bus. We spent a lovely Shabbat in Efrat with family.

It's after midnight, and I got home not all that long ago.  I really don't have time to write a "proper post," so I'll leave you with the reminder.  The State of Israel may not be perfect. Certainly nobody I know is, including myself. The State of Israel is a Jewish State, and in many ways it's getting better and better. We must work harder and not give up.

Have a wonderful and healthy and joy-filled week.  Look for the best and not the worst.

Efrat

A Very "Jewish Moment" at Work

As regular readers know, I work in a store, a clothing store, Yafiz, which is part of the Rami Levy business, in Sha'ar Binyamin.

Usually I write about how there is amazing cooperation between the Jews and Arabs who work and shop together in Yafiz and Rami Levy.  It's still true.  I must admit that when I'm  in the shvung*  of work I barely pay attention to whether I'm serving Jews or Arabs.  A customer is a customer, and as long as they are polite, cooperative, buying and paying, it really doesn't matter to me.  I sell in Hebrew, English, pantomime and the few words I remember from my high school Spanish.

Last night at work, just as I was walking a customer to the cashier, my phone made alarm sounds.  I quickly took it to turn it off and said to my Jewish customer:

"S'fira reminder."

She happily thanked me and began the blessing of Counting the Omer.

According to the Torah (Lev. 23:15), we are obligated to count the days from Passover to Shavu'ot. This period is known as the Counting of the Omer. An omer is a unit of measure. On the second day of Passover, in the days of the Temple, an omer of barley was cut down and brought to the Temple as an offering. This grain offering was referred to as the Omer.
Every night, from the second night of Passover to the night before Shavu'ot, we recite a blessing and state the count of the omer in both weeks and days. So on the 16th day, you would say "Today is sixteen days, which is two weeks and two days of the Omer."

I have found that one of the easiest ways to remember to Count the Omer is to have my cellphone remind me.  I do have some email reminders, but I'm not always on the computer and certainly not when at work. In addition, my cell phone is a simple "dumb phone" which isn't set up for internet and emails.

I can usually hear the coo coo clock alarm sound which it makes for appointment reminders. Then I must just try to remember which number we're up to in the count.  As  soon as she had finished I asked her which number.

"I may be wrong, but I think it's ten."
"I also think it's ten, so there's a good chance that you're right, thanks."

And then I too counted.

It's funny in a way.  It's like we were speaking in "codes" that not everyone would understand.  In Israel, not even all Jews are aware of S'firat Ha'Omer, Counting the Omer.  Outside of Israel, it's certainly even more rare even in the Jewish community. It was nice to have a mini-public counting in the store.  

Too bad they don't announce the Omer Counting on the loudspeaker from the Rami Levy supermarket, the way they announce a minyan for Mincha or Arvit, afternoon or evening prayers.  They also have public lighting of the Chanukiyah, Chanukah menorah.  Public Omer Counting would be very helpful for busy people, especially women and children who generally don't doven with a minyon even if they do doven at night.

So, I'm especially glad that my little "homemade Omer alarm" helped more than just me.

*What does "in the shvung/shvoong" mean?

The word “Shvoong” is originally German. It is written “Schwung” and it means momentum. The Jewish people has adopted this word to their Yiddish vocabulary and used it when they wanted to describe something that is done quickly.

Counting To 49

Here it is, the checked off proof that this year I managed to count the Omer. Twice I just caught myself, counted sans bracha, blessing, in the morning so I could resume the blessing at night.




Some of you may say:

"Big deal."

But honestly, it took me decades after becoming religious to succeed in counting the entire count. I failed as a mother, because I didn't teach my kids. How could I teach them something I, myself, could never remember to do?

The very first time I managed to do it was the year my daughter was engaged and got married. Her husband used to work for our cell phone company and set us up with cell phone reminders. To that I added email reminders, and I counted all 49 nights, even Friday night when I had no electric help.

After seven years of counting seven days a week for seven weeks, I'm much more confident.

Tomorrow night is Chag Shavuot, the Holiday which commemorates our receiving the Torah from G-d.

Chag Sameach

Have a Happy Holiday

S'frat HaOmer, Free Email Reminders

Finally, I got an email from "MLC" offering free email reminders to count the Omer.

Click here.

Check your spam box. That's where I found the offer. Don't worry. I know that it's a legitimate group.

Sfirat Ha'Omer-- Counting the Omer --Reminders?

I haven't gotten any links to sign up for the reminders yet. Can anyone help? I need to be reminded to count the Omer every night.