Sefirat Ha'Omer

(15) And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after the sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete: (16) you must count until the day after the seventh week—fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the LORD... (21) On that same day you shall hold a celebration; it shall be a sacred occasion for you; you shall not work at your occupations. This is a law for all time in all your settlements, throughout the ages.

(9) You shall count off seven weeks; start to count the seven weeks when the sickle is first put to the standing grain.

(10) Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Jericho, the Israelites offered the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening. (11) On the day after the passover offering, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched grain. (12) On that same day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

(1) Rabbi Ishmael says: On Shabbat the omer [The special barley offering, offered the day after Pesach, which permits grain harvested in the last year to be eaten] would come from three se'im [a specific measure of volume] and on a weekday from five; the Sages say: whether on Shabbat or on a weekday it would come from three se'im. Rabbi Hanina Segan HaKohanim says: on Shabbat it was reaped by one person with one sickle into one basket, and on a weekday it was reaped by three people into three baskets and with three sickles; the Sages say: whether on Shabbat or on a weekday it was reaped by three people into three baskets and with three sickles.

And the priest waved the omer before God. And how would he wave it? Rabbi Chama bar Ukvah in the name of Rabbi Joshua ben Channia said: back and forth for whom that the whole world is His. Up and down for whom that the uppers and the lowers are His. Rabbi Simon b’Rabbi Joshua said: back and forth to cancel harsh winds, up and down to cancel bad dew.

(1) On the second night after the evening prayer, we begin to count the Omer. And if someone forgot to count, [that one may count] from the beginning of the evening onwards. He may account all night. It is a mitzvah for each person to count for themselves. He needs to count standing and bless before. He should count the days and weeks. How? On the first day he should say “today is day one of the Omer”, until he arrives to seven days. [At which point he should say], “they are one week of the Omer.” And on the eighth day he should say “today is eight days and they are one week and one day of the Omer.” And also, when he arrives to the 14th day, he should say “today is 14 days, they are two weeks of the Omer.” And in this way he should count and onwards until the 49th day.

(10) It is forbidden to eat a new [grain] (as opposed to dried or old grain), even now whether bread, toasted grain, unripe (or damp) grain until the beginning of the evening of the 18th of Nissan, and in the Land of Israel, until the beginning of the evening of the 17th of Nissan.

Rabbi Akiva says that the verse should be understood as follows: If one studied Torah in his youth he should study more Torah in his old age; if he had students in his youth he should have additional students in his old age, as it is stated: “In the morning sow your seed, etc.” They said by way of example that Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students in an area of land that stretched from Gevat to Antipatris in Judea, and they all died in one period of time, because they did not treat each other with respect.

And the world was desolate of Torah until Rabbi Akiva came to our Rabbis in the South and taught his Torah to them. This second group of disciples consisted of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosei, Rabbi Shimon, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua. And these are the very ones who upheld the study of Torah at that time. Although Rabbi Akiva’s earlier students did not survive, his later disciples were able to transmit the Torah to future generations.

With regard to the twelve thousand pairs of Rabbi Akiva’s students, the Gemara adds: It is taught that all of them died in the period from Passover until Shavuot. Rav Ḥama bar Abba said, and some say it was Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin: They all died a bad death. The Gemara inquires: What is it that is called a bad death? Rav Naḥman said: Diphtheria.

(1) It is customary not to get married between Pesach and Shavuot, until Lag BaOmer (the 33rd day), because during that time, the students of Rabbi Akiva died. However, to do "erusin" and "kiddushin" (engagement and betrothal) is OK. And even for "nisuin" (marriage), if someone did so, we do not punish him. Rema: however, from Lag Ba'Omer onwards, all this is permitted (Abudraham, Beit Yosef & Minhagim).

(2) It is customary not to cut one's hair until Lag BaOmer, since it is said that that is when they stopped dying. One should not cut one's hair until the 34th day, in the morning, unless the 33rd day falls on Friday, in which case one may cut one's hair then, in honor of the Sabbath ("kavod Shabbat"). Rema: But in these countries, we do not follow the custom he advocates; rather, we cut our hair on the 33rd day, and we rejoice a bit, and we do not say Tachanun (Maharil and Minhagim). And one should only cut one's hair on the 33rd day itself, but not on its evening. However, if it falls on Sunday, our custom is to cut our hair on Friday in honor of the Sabbath (Maharil). Someone who is performing a brit milah (i.e., the sandak, mohel and the infant's father), or circumcizing his son, is allowed to cut his hair during sefirah in honor of the circumcision (Hagahot Minhagim).