As we mark Lag BaOmer, how fitting that this week’s parsha, Emor, contains the biblical source for Sefirat HaOmer. What is the significance of counting the days between Pesach and Shavuot? Many commentaries understand this period as a time for mindfulness and personal growth.

One approach highlights the value of elevating ourselves beyond mere physical and material concerns. The Omer period marks an agricultural transition in the Land of Israel — from the barley harvest to the wheat harvest. Sforno explains that counting each day is like a tefilla, a prayer of gratitude to God for the harvest, which we must not take for granted. This culminates in Shavuot, also known as Chag HaBikkurim, the festival of first fruits. In this way, counting the Omer becomes a daily reminder to be grateful for the Land of Israel and to never take its blessings for granted.

A second approach views the Omer as connecting two foundational events in Jewish history — the Exodus and the giving of the Torah. The Sefer HaChinuch explains that by counting, we mirror the journey of Am Yisrael, who moved from physical freedom to spiritual purpose. The Lubavitcher Rebbe adds that each person must count individually, underscoring the unique potential and personal agency of every Jew in the journey toward Torah. Similarly, Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli wrote that recalling our starting point as slaves gives us strength and deepens our appreciation for where we are going.

These two perspectives — one agricultural and the other historical — offer us meaningful orientation both in times of abundance and in times of challenge. This is a moment to be mindful of the privilege of living in Israel and to appreciate the miracle of its existence. It is also a time to look back on Jewish history, drawing strength from the perseverance and hope that continue to carry us forward toward better days. Shabbat Shalom -Karen Miller Jackson