Sefirat HaOmer 141 articles

The Chatam Sofer questions why the yahrtzeit of R’ Shimon bar Yochai warrants a holiday – we generally don’t celebrate a yahrtzeit! He then enumerates four historical events occurred on Lag...

Delivered at the OU Israel Center, April 17th, 2018 This shiur is sponsored by Helen Gross in loving memory of her Husband Alex Gross on his Yahrzeit The Gemara says Rebbi...

What does the Gemara mean that Rabbi Akiva’s students “לא נהגו כבוד זה לזה” and that losing those 12,000 pairs of students caused the world to be desolate? How did Rabbi...

Counting is always for a purpose, what then, is/are the purpose(s) for the counting the Omer? An answer based on the pesukim in Parshat Emor and Re’eh. The four differences between...

Why is the first day of Pesach not included in the count of the Omer? How is the first day of Pesach different from the rest of the holiday and from...

The Rambam holds Sefirat HaOmer is biblical, even today when we don’t bring the Omer. Yet he deliberately placed it in korbanot which indicates counting depends on bringing the Omer. How...

S’firah as a time of mourning “Rebbe Akiva had 24,000 students from Givas to Antipras. All of them died in one time period because they didn’t treat each other with kavod....

Despite R’ Akiva’s losing 24,000 students, he did not give up hope and went and acquired 5 new students in order to reinvigorate the future of the Jewish people.

What is the difference between the Zohar, composed by R’ Shimon Bar Yochai while hiding in the cave, and the other sefarim on the Chumash written beforehand?

Why were R’ Akiva’s students punished specifically during the omer? What is the significance of Rabbi Akiva expounding on the crowns of the letters in the Torah?