בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּךֶ אַתֶה חֲוָיָה שְׁכִינּוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדַשְׁתַנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיהֶ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהָתֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קֵרְבָתְנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ וְצִוְתָנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
Blessings for learning and studying Torah
Berakhot 11b:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Nonbinary Hebrew Project:
B’rucheh ateh Khavayah Shekhinu ruach ha’olam asher kidash’tanu b’mitzvotei’he v’tziv’tanu la’asok b’divrei Torah
Feminine God Language:
Brukhah at Ya Elohateinu ruach ha’olam asher keir’vat’nu la’avodatah v’tziv’tavnu la’asok b’divrei Torah
מִצְוַת סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר – לִסְפֹּר תִּשְׁעָה וְאַרְבָּעִים יוֹם מִיּוֹם הֲבָאַת הָעֹמֶר שֶׁהוּא יוֹם שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה. וְהַמִּנְיָן הַזֶּה חוֹבָה, וְעָלִינוּ לִמְנוֹת בּוֹ הַיָּמִים יוֹם יוֹם, וְכֵן הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת, שֶׁהַכָּתוּב אָמַר תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם. וְאָמַר גַּם כֵּן (דברים טז ט) שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת תִּסְפָּר לָךְ, וּבְפֵרוּשׁ אָמַר אַבַּיֵּי בַּגְּמָרָא בִּמְנָחוֹת (סו, א) מִצְוָה לְמִמְנֵי יוֹמֵי וּמִצְוָה לְמִמְנֵי שָׁבוּעֵי (עי' סהמ"צ להרמב"ם עשין קסא).
The commandment of counting the omer: To count forty-nine days from the bringing of the omer which is on the sixteenth day of Nissan, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:15), “And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Shabbat from the day of your bringing the omer of waving.” And this tallying is an obligation, and it is upon us to count the days on each day and, likewise, the weeks. As Scripture said to count fifty days and also said (Deuteronomy 16:9), “Seven weeks shall you count for yourself.” And in explanation, Abbaye said in the Gemara in Menachot 66a, “It is a commandment to tally the days and it is a commandment to tally the weeks.” (See Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 161.)
(ב) מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר לָבֹא מִן הַקָּרוֹב. לֹא בִכֵּר הַקָּרוֹב לִירוּשָׁלַיִם, מְבִיאִים אוֹתוֹ מִכָּל מָקוֹם. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּא מִגַּגּוֹת צְרִיפִין, וּשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם מִבִּקְעַת עֵין סוֹכֵר:
(ג) כֵּיצַד הָיוּ עוֹשִׂים. שְׁלוּחֵי בֵית דִּין יוֹצְאִים מֵעֶרֶב יוֹם טוֹב, וְעוֹשִׂים אוֹתוֹ כְרִיכוֹת בִּמְחֻבָּר לַקַּרְקַע, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא נוֹחַ לִקְצֹר. וְכָל הָעֲיָרוֹת הַסְּמוּכוֹת לְשָׁם, מִתְכַּנְּסוֹת לְשָׁם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא נִקְצָר בְּעֵסֶק גָּדוֹל. כֵּיוָן שֶׁחֲשֵׁכָה, אוֹמֵר לָהֶם, בָּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, אוֹמְרִים, הֵן. בָּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. מַגָּל זוֹ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. מַגָּל זוֹ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. קֻפָּה זוֹ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. קֻפָּה זוֹ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. בְּשַׁבָּת אוֹמֵר לָהֶם, שַׁבָּת זוֹ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. שַׁבָּת זוֹ, אוֹמְרִים הֵן. אֶקְצֹר, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ קְצֹר. אֶקְצֹר, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ קְצֹר. שָׁלשׁ פְּעָמִים עַל כָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ הֵן, הֵן, הֵן. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה. מִפְּנֵי הַבַּיְתוֹסִים, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים, אֵין קְצִירַת הָעֹמֶר בְּמוֹצָאֵי יוֹם טוֹב:
(2) The mitzva of the omer is to bring the barley reaped for the meal offering from fields proximate to Jerusalem. If the barley did not ripen in the fields proximate to Jerusalem, one brings it from any place in Eretz Yisrael. There was an incident where the omer came from Gaggot Tzerifin and the wheat for the two loaves on Shavuot came from the valley of Ein Sokher.
(3) How would they perform the rite of the harvest of the omer? Emissaries of the court would emerge on the eve of the festival of Passover and fashion the stalks of barley into sheaves while the stalks were still attached to the ground, so that it would be convenient to reap them. The residents of all the towns adjacent to the site of the harvest would assemble there, so that it would be harvested with great fanfare. Once it grew dark, the court emissary says to those assembled: Did the sun set? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: Did the sun set? They again say: Yes. The court emissary next says to those assembled: Shall I reap the sheaves with this sickle? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: With this sickle? The assembly says: Yes. The court emissary then says to those assembled: Shall I place the gathered sheaves in this basket? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: In this basket? The assembly says: Yes. If the sixteenth of Nisan occurs on Shabbat, the court emissary says to the assembled: Shall I cut the sheaves on this Shabbat? The assembly says in response: Yes. The emissary repeats: On this Shabbat? The assembly says: Yes. The court emissary says to those assembled: Shall I cut the sheaves? And they say to him in response: Cut. The emissary repeats: Shall I cut the sheaves? And they say to him: Cut. The emissary asks three times with regard to each and every matter, and the assembly says to him: Yes, yes, yes. The mishna asks: Why do I need those involved to publicize each stage of the rite to that extent? The mishna answers: It is due to the Boethusians, as they deny the validity of the Oral Law and would say: There is no harvest of the omer at the conclusion of the first Festival day of Passover unless it occurs at the conclusion of Shabbat. The publicity was to underscore that the sixteenth of Nisan was the proper time for the omer harvest.
The actual text for performing the mitzvah (said after nightfall):
הִנְ֒נִי מוּכָן וּמְזֻמָּן לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה. וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹֽמֶר הַתְּ֒נוּפָה שֶֽׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶֽינָה: עַד מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁ֒בִיעִית תִּסְפְּ֒רוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַיהֹוָה:
וִיהִי נֹֽעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר:
I am prepared and ready to perform the affirmative command to count the Omer, as is written in the Torah: “And you shall count for yourselves, from the day after the day of rest, from the day you bring the omer as the wave-offering, seven complete weeks shall there be; until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days; and you shall bring a new meal-offering unto Adonoy.”
May the pleasantness of my Master our God be upon us, and the work of our hands established for us, and the work of our hands—establish it.
Blessed are You, Adonoy, our God, Ruler of the universe, Who sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.
Then count:
First week:
הַיּוֹם _____ יָמִים בָּעֹֽמֶר:
Today is _______ days of the omer.
Second week:
הַיּוֹם ______ יָמִים שֶׁהֵם שָׁבֽוּעַ אֶחָד וְיוֹם______ בָּעֹֽמֶר:
Today is ______ days, which are one week and _______ days of the omer.
Subsequent weeks:
הַיּוֹם ______ יוֹם שֶׁהֵם ______ שָׁבוּעוֹת וַ______ יָמִים בָּעֹֽמֶר:
Today is _______ days,, which are ______ weeks and ________ days of the omer.
From Rabbanit Atara Lindenbaum, "Every Day Counts" at https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/335975.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
This counting, which commemorates both the harvest and the anticipation of receiving the Torah, is done with a look towards the past. We count how far we have come, but not how much time remains. The method of counting backwards is striking. When we count before momentous events, we generally count how much time we have left until we reach the anticipated event. A child may count how many days left until his or her birthday, or we might count how much time left until we reunite with loved ones after a trip abroad.
The method of counting backwards, though, helps us re-enact the way the Jewish people felt when they left Egypt. Bnei Yisrael did not know when they would receive the Torah, they did not know how their journey in the desert would continue, and therefore could not possibly count towards anything, since that day was unknown and perhaps unimaginable. As we count only the days that have passed since Pesach, we can imagine how our ancestors felt in the desert as each day passed, as they had no idea what tomorrow would bring. Perhaps they also kept a count of how many days they managed to keep going in the desert, not knowing exactly from where their sources of food, water, and spirituality would come.
From Rabbi Shai Held, "Between Grief and Anticipation: Counting the Omer" at https://hadar.org/torah-tefillah/resources/between-grief-and-anticipation-counting-omer
On Pesah the Israelites were liberated from slavery—but for what purpose? God does not demand simply that Pharaoh “let My people go,” but rather that the king “let My people go that they may serve Me” (Exodus 7:26). For Jewish tradition, so committed to the ideal of freedom for a sacred purpose as opposed to mere freedom from external constraint, Pesah needs to lead somewhere, and Sinai-Shavuot is that destination. Counting the forty-nine days of the Omer thus becomes an exercise in anticipating revelation.
This idea is beautifully expressed in the medieval Sefer Ha-Hinnukh (anonymous, 13th century Spain): “The very essence of the Jewish people is only the Torah… and it is the essence of why they were redeemed from Egypt—so that they would receive the Torah at Sinai and fulfill it.” Receiving the Torah, the author insists, is an even greater good for the Jewish people than freedom from slavery; the purpose of the latter is to lead on the former. We count forty-nine days in order to demonstrate the immense yearning we feel for the great day when we will receive the Torah, “because counting shows a person that all of his longing and all of his yearning are focused on getting to that day” (Mitzvah #306). In counting these days each year, in other words, the Jewish people re-experience the excitement and anticipation that the first generation of liberated Israelites felt: We are no longer slaves, and soon we will receive the Torah, the greatest gift imaginable. Over time, however, these days of anticipation