I attended more than my share of high schools while I was growing up. In one of these schools I was able to work on a school mural, with the quote:  ”We Are What We Are About to Become” hanging above it. The concept of what we are supposed to be doing during the time period known as Sefirot Ha’Omer can be compared to that concept.

During the “Festival Of Weeks” Shavout we do not start “celebrating the holiday” until we have counted out 49 days, or seven cycles (weeks) of seven days, and then the 50th day shall be a festival for us. So really what is all this counting about. By counting each and every day going forwards surely we must be building up to some major event.

The answer is yes, we are building up to something big, nothing less than the very first time that we, the Jewish people received the Torah, at Mount Sinai. One of the rabbi’s I learn with has told me that we are always there, receiving the Torah always. It’s more complex than that, of course, it always is.

However this piece, is not a how to guide which serves to simply inform readers  about the technical requirements needed to properly do the required procedures and ritual actions required by the time period.  Torah observant Jews are told both by scriptural sources as well as dictates from the rabbanon (rabbinic sources), what we must do, what we must not do.

Well one might simply ask, what is left to discuss? My answer would be, all the rest.

Leaving Mitzrayim, is one thing, becoming the great nation of that was chosen by G-d “to be a light unto the nations, a nation of holy people, kohenim, priests “, well that is indeed a tall order!

I have often struggled, as someone who is relatively new to the scene of orthodox Judaism, to find my own framework to understand and do what to some would seem to be a vast array of customs, traditions, procedures, standards, rules and yes even specific daily ritual procedures such as putting on Tefilin dailty (except for Shabbos and some holidays). However I have developed specific strategies which have allowed me to do what is required to be considered a member in a good standing of the Torah observant community in my home town of Passaic NJ.

Additionally orthodox Jewish observance does vary in subtle and not so subtle ways depending upon one’s community, one’s rabbi, and even down to the level of how one’s father may have performed so many of the ceremonies that are part of what we as Torah observant Jews in Passaic NJ simply call being frum. However the idea that needs to be stated clearly, is that properly conducted ritual procedure is not nearly enough to satisfy the requirements of proper performance of the Mitzvot. The mitzvot consist of the statement of the rules and regulation that are given to us by G-d in our Holy Torah. Additionally our Rabbanon have created “fences” around the Torah, that require observant Jews in many cases to develop an even more strict adherence to Halacha (Jewish Law) than is actually mandated by the Torah. Something could be an issur d’Oraisa (prohibiton from the Torah) or an issur d’Rabbanon (prohibition by the Rabbanon). In almost all cases, the restrictions are given equal weight.

I sometimes amaze even my own self, by how many written words are actually needed simply to explain which ideas, I am not seeking to explain in this piece. Even with that being said,  I am indeed imagining that a subset of my readers would be quick to point out, that there may well be some very specific mitzvot, (lets say the prohibition of  shatnez, the mixture of wool and cotton in the same garment) that simply require someone to technically do the mitzvah properly without understanding the reasoning behind it.

I spend a good deal of thought and time explaining these details because even though I might hold myself to a standard which requires a mindfulness in doing the mitzvot, it may indeed be possible, and maybe even likely that there are those who in their observance will place a greater emphasis on the “how to” component of the performance of the mitzvah as opposed to the why one performs the mitzvah and as  to the proper thought which one should have while performing the mitzvah.

For some of us, it might be good enough to count the Omer, the day number for 49 days, and refrain from listening to music, and to refrain from cutting our hair and beards, and not having weddings, during the period of Sefirot Ha’omer. For other people (including myself) it is rarely if ever good enough to do something simply because it is what everyone else does.

Aharon Moshe (Stephen) Sanders
April 29. 2010

Editor’s note; The author understands that this piece is not complete. The final part of this essay requires much thought and concentration, even though developing this piece to this point may have been the more difficult task.

Abraham purchased the a plot of ground in Hebron for a burial cave for his wife Sarah.

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