“And you shall count for yourselves from the day after Pesach… seven full weeks.” (Vayikra 23:15)

We have a mitzvah to count the Omer every evening for forty-nine days, beginning on the second night of Pesach and continuing until Shavuos.

Shavuos is the day on which we accepted the Torah, and each year we re- accept the Torah on this day. We need forty-nine days to prepare for this day.

The Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 306) explains that the purpose of life is to study and fulfill the Torah. That is why we were redeemed from Egypt. We count from the second day of Pesach until the day we received the Torah to demonstrate and develop a great yearning for that awesome and inspiring day.

Text Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Moshe Goldberger and Torah.org.