Today is the fourth Shabbat in counting the Omer.
omer
noun
\ ˈō-mər
\
Definition of omer
1
: an ancient Hebrew unit of dry capacity equal to ¹/₁₀ ephah
2a often capitalized
: the sheaf of barley traditionally offered in Jewish Temple worship on the second day of the Passover
b capitalized
: a 7-week liturgical period of anticipation for Shavuot beginning with the second day of the Passover
Definition of OMER
It looks like Webster got their second definition wrong.
omer
Also found in:
Acronyms,
Wikipedia.
Related to omer:
ephah
o·mer
(ō′mər, ō′mĕr)
n. Judaism
1. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to a tenth of an ephah, about 3.5 liters (3.7 quarts).
2.
a. An offering of a sheaf or an omer of the first harvest of barley to a priest in the Temple on the second day of Passover.
b. Omer A 49-day liturgical season, originally a harvest festival, from the second day of Passover to the first day of Shavuot, during which marriages are prohibited and signs of mourning are observed.
omer
It seems so did The Free Dictionary.
Where are they getting their information?
Here is what Aish says:
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What is the Omer?
In the days of the
Holy Temple, the Jewish people would bring a barley offering on the second day of Passover (Leviticus 23:10). This was called the "Omer" (literally, "sheaf") and in practical terms would permit the consumption of recently-harvested grains.
Starting on the second day of Passover, the Torah (Leviticus 23:15) says it is a mitzvah every day to "count the Omer" – the 50 days leading up to
Shavuot. This is an important period of growth and introspection, in preparation for the holiday of Shavuot which arrives 50 days later.
What is the Omer?
===========================
Maybe from tradition; but what does the Torah say?
(CLV) Lv 23:11
He will wave the sheaf before Yahweh for acceptance on your behalf. From the morrow of the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
The first day of Hag Matzot is a shabbat, but so is the seventh day Shabbat that follows.
(CLV) Lv 23:15
You will count off for yourselves from the morrow of the sabbath, from the day you bring the sheaf of the wave offering: there shall be seven flawless sabbaths.
There are not seven Hag Matzot shabbats within the Moed of Hag Matzot.
How does one count of seven flawless 7th day Shabbats, without starting with a 7th day Shabbat and come to a count of 50 days?
Here is another report from Aish:
Shavuot (May 17-18, 2021), the holiday of “weeks”, commemorates Israel's receiving the
Torah at Sinai. After the 49-day, 7-week
countdown since Passover, we at last reach
Shavuot on the 50th day. In the synagogue we read the story of the
Revelation at Sinai, in which God descended upon
Mount Sinai and
communicated directly with Israel, giving the nation the
Ten Commandments and its
unique mission to God and
mankind. We also read the
Book of Ruth, telling the story of one of Israel's finest
converts.
Shavuot - Shavuos, Jewish Holidays
That places Shavuout from sundown on the second day of the week, to sundown on the third day of the week,
Shabbat shalom.
