Counting the Omer 2021 - Day One

Day One

22nd of Nisan 5781 – from sundown on April 3rd to sundown on April 4, 2021[1]

Reishit or Firstfruits – Resurrection Sunday (also observed as Easter this year)

The traditional prayers for the Counting of the Omer are preferably recited just after sundown beginning on the day following the first Sabbath after Passover. One typically stands when counting the omer, and begins by reciting the following blessing:

ברוך אתה יהוה אלוהינו , מלך העולם , אשר קדשנו במצותי

וציונו עלי לספירת העומר

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'Olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav
v'tizivanu al sefirat ha'omer.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count the omer.

After the blessing, one recites the appropriate day of the count. 

היום  יום אחד לעומר

Hayom yom echad la'omer

Today is one day of the omer.

After the reciting the day of the count, ­read Psalm 67: (NKJV)

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, 

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 

Let the peoples praise you,
O God; let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

After reciting Psalm 67, recite Psalm 119: 1-8: א          Aleph

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!  Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!  They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.  You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.  Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!  Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.  I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.  I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly! 

After the reciting from Psalm 119, recite the following prayer: 

Our Heavenly Father, we implore You, by the awesome power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayers of your people; strengthen and purify us. Bless us and cleanse us. Awesome and Mighty King of the Universe, we beseech you, that You guard as the apple of your eye, your people Israel. Bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, preserve and protect Your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Strengthen us and give us courage to stand against the wickedness that calls good 'evil' and evil 'good.' Heal our land that has been defiled by the shedding of innocent blood and help our nation to turn back to you and honor your precepts. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows our secret thoughts. Blessed be the name and the glory of Your kingdom forever and ever.

Sovereign of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count the days of the omer, in order to purify us from sin and so that we may be cleansed. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that in the counting of the omer which I (we) have counted today, I (we) may be purified and sanctified with your unimaginable holiness. And through my (our) obedience to your commandments, may Your abundant bounty be bestowed upon all the world. May it rectify our soul and our spirit from every baseness and defect, and may it purify and sanctify us with all your holiness. Amen.

After reciting the prayer, continue to pray and meditate on the miraculous way in which God delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and how only days after the first Passover when Israelites were told to stay in their homes protected by the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the door frame so that the Angel of Death would 'passover' them and how Yeshua appeared to the eleven and told them to remain near Jerusalem just as we are now being to told to stay in our homes to escape the pestilence abroad in our land. Remember how the Israelites carried the wealth of Egypt out with them when they left and how after Yeshua arose from death, He appeared to Mary Magdalene and to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emaus. To them He explained all things in scripture concerning himself. 

Suggested selections for further reading include the special readings for Passover and other related selections from the New Testament writings (B'rit Hadashah): Exodus 13:14-18; Numbers 28:19-25; 33:1-5; 2 Samuel 22:1-7; Matt 28:1-11; Mark 16:9-14; Luke 24:1-35; John 3:16; 20:1-23; I Cor 15:20-24

Suggested reading from the weekly Torah portion: Shmini – 1st reading: Lev 9:1-16
Suggested reading from the Brit Hadashah: John 20:1; 2 Cor 5:19-21; Heb 5:1-6

The Sefirot for Day One is: Chesed of Chesed  or the Loving-kindness of Loving-Kindness.

Suggested activity for today: Perform an act of loving-kindness for someone in need that is shut in at this time.

Download a printable copy

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[1] The date on the Gregorian calendar associated with 18 Nissan 5780, is the 12^th  of April, however, In the Hebraic reckoning of time, the day begins at sunset rather than midnight. Therefore, the first day of the counting of the omer begins on Saturday evening, April 11th and ends Sunday evening April 12^th.

Go to Counting the Omer 2021 - Day Two