Parashat Emor

וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃ עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃

Fascinatingly, the early rabbis not only understood this as a mitzvah that required an individual bracha each night, but later generations of kabbalists felt that it also required intention. They added a preliminary statement of intention, coupled with these verses from our parashah, to precede the blessing each night: Hineni muchan u’mezuman l’kayem mitzvat aseh shel sefirat ha’omer. Behold, I am ready and prepared to fulfill the mitzvah of sefirat ha’omer, as it says in the Torah…

 

As we approach counting the Omer each night, the kabbalists wanted us to stop. They wanted us to check and make sure that we are emotionally ready to perform the mitzvah, and also that we are prepared with everything we might need to do so, whether that is the number we’ll be counting, or a copy of the bracha, or the time to do so without feeling rushed. And they wanted us to be conscious of the reason why; we are counting these days because the Torah commanded us, using these words from our parashah.

 

I think there is a lot to be learned from this approach. It is very easy to move through our days without slowing down to think about why we are doing what we are doing. And just as easy to go from task to task, crossing items off of our to-do lists, but never stopping to ask if we are ready, and prepared, to do these tasks in the most meaningful way possible. The rabbis would likely agree with Ferris Bueller when he said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”