I cannot honestly remember the last time I actually made it this far in the omer counting, like most post yeshiva types who don’t attend shul too often – I’m usually on top of the counting until Pesach ends at which point I stop being reminded by the Rabbi to count and usually remember on some random Friday night that I am supposed to be counting.
Yes, I know, it sounds pretty pathetic of me to forget that we are in a state of mourning, but fear not – I am constantly reminded of that state of mourning by my prepubescent beard and mustache situation that never seems to grow in (so much for my dreams of mouton chops and a really long chin beard) and the nice fact that God loves to place the best concerts of the year during the first part of sefira and the 3 weeks.
I guess I’m a bit shocked to be this far into the game and still counting with a bracha, I have always wondered if the omer was one of those mitzvos that you got every time you counted or just at the culmination of the counting, kind of like listening to shofer without talking or something.
Is it just me that thinks making it over two weeks of Omer is something to show off, or shall I crawl into my cave of shame by being proud of not ever making the full omer count with a bracha in my life?
I used to suck at it, even when I was in yeshiva, but now I get a text alert every night (I know you don’t text, but there’s email stuff too), and that keeps me pretty on top of it. Yay Joodaism!!!
I agree, text/email reminders can really help.
I have never lost the bracha, since I became an adult (13).
15 years
“I have always wondered if the omer was one of those mitzvos that you got every time you counted or just at the culmination of the counting.”
There is actually a very relevant dispute over this exact question. Bottom line is, we consider it to be a new mitzva every day, but we only make a beracha if we don’t miss a day, so as to cover all opinions. So keep counting every night, but try to listen to the beracha of the ba’al tefilah.
“Is it just me that thinks making it over two weeks of Omer is something to show off, or shall I crawl into my cave of shame by being proud of not ever making the full omer count with a bracha in my life?”
Why can’t both be true?
I was told that if you miss to count one night but remember the morning after, you count without brachah and in the evening you can go back to counting saying the brachah. Is this wrong?
nope. its true, just try not to get to that point
Thanks!
I’ve made it the past 3 years, since I started setting an alarm on my phone to go off at 9:30 every night. Then I just have to make sure that the people we’re with on erev Shabbat also remember to count, otherwise I’m likely to forget. Though it’s become easier since getting married, because we remind each other. The first time that my husband counted the whole omer was when we were dating. There have been a few times I forgot to count at night, but remembered in the morning, but fortunately not many.
This year, I forgot to count and went to bed, but my husband remembered before he went to sleep. He woke up me up so we could count together, but I totally didn’t remember it the next day! So then we were wondering if it counted if you said it while half asleep. We decided that it didn’t really matter, since I had freaked out and counted without a bracha anyways the next morning.
Oh, Jews.
Sign up for the OU Sefirah Reminder Daily email! Saves me and my husband from our own forgetfulness almost every night.
Print out the reminder before turning off your computer for Shabbos.
I hate waiting 33 days to manscape.