Counting Down/Counting Up to Torah

by Rabbi Deb Smith

We are currently in the midst of what I call the counting down/counting up period of the Jewish year. It is the period of time that begins with the second Pesach Seder and continues to Shavuot, the holiday commemorating receiving the Torah at Sinai. This period is marked by seven weeks of a practice called counting the Omer.

Shavuot is one of my favorite holidays because each year I feel truly present at Sinai and rejoice in receiving new messages, new wisdom, and new insights from our ancient Torah. This always leads me to find new opportunities to live a more fulfilling life.

While the period of days and weeks from that second Seder to Shavuot can be seen as a time of counting down to receive the Torah on Sinai, it can also be seen as a time of counting up – rising to a higher spiritual level of readiness to receive Torah on Shavuot.

The period of daily Omer counting is a popular spiritual practice during this seven week period. By engaging in the practice of counting the Omer, we acknowledge that we cannot just “ show up” on Shavuot and receive Torah. Just as we prepare for the high holidays during the month of Elul, with a spiritual practice of studying and introspection, we need to engage in a spiritual practice of equal gravitas during the weeks between Pesach and Shavuot.

Just as we prepare for the high holidays during the month of Elul with a spiritual practice
of studying and introspection, we need to engage in a spiritual practice of equal gravitas
during the weeks between Pesach and Shavuot.

It is no coincidence that the time of counting down or counting up is bound up with the number SEVEN: seven weeks of seven days each. The number seven stands for completeness or completion in Judaism, and we are called to engage in a spiritual practice to bring us to internal soul completion or completeness as we ascend Mount Sinai to receive Torah on Shavuot.

Do you engage in a spiritual practice between the weeks from Pesach to Shavuot? We invite you to share your daily spiritual practice during the Omer with your Chai Mitzvah community. Please answer in the box below.

Happy Counting!