Journey of the Heart: Understanding the Omer Count
If you are new to counting the Omer like me, you will discover more and more things about this as you go along. For instance, I never knew there were so many different ways to be doing this count! The important thing is to know Our Creator sees the intentions of our hearts.
I have been trying my best to follow the 7 weeks of 7 days Jewish teachings that focus on a specific area of repentance for each day—for example, today's focus is Tiferet shebeTiferet (Compassion within Compassion). I did not know that this is not done by the Karaites who closely follow the Torah.
Nowhere in the Torah does it say any specific blessing you must say each day—nor anything about special devotions, nor even repentance! The Torah simply says to count the days!
This has me thinking about when Yeshua walked with his disciples through Yerusalem—what was it He criticised again and again? That the leaders had overcomplicated the law by adding their own traditions to it!
Was Creator simply stating—bring a first fruits offering on the day after the first Sabbath following Passover—then count 50 days and bring a second offering?
The instruction for this count comes from Leviticus (Vayikra) Chapter 23.
"Vayikra (Lev) 23:15-17 CJB [15] “‘From the day after the day of rest — that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving — you are to count seven full weeks, [16] until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to Adonai. [17] You must bring bread from your homes for waving — two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven — as firstfruits for Adonai. Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) Leviticus (Vayikra)23:15-17
Today, Tuesday, April 21, Karaite Jews and other Torah followers like me are marking Day 17 of the Omer (2 weeks and 3 days).
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| Day 17 of the journey: Finding harmony and balance through "Compassion within Compassion" as we number our days toward Shavuot. |



