(טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃
(15) And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after the sabbath—you shall count for yourselves seven weeks. They must be complete:
תנו רבנן (ויקרא כג, טו) וספרתם לכם שתהא ספירה לכל אחד ואחד
- Shavuot: Holiday of the Present
There is a unique mitzva to count the days between Pesach and Shavuot. Counting often expresses a hope for the end of something, and therefore it’s usually a count-down. This kind of counting expresses the desire to be done with the present situation. The one who counts wishes to skip over the intervening time- and to arrive at the intended goal, a point in the future.
In contrast, the counting of the omer is positive. We begin at one and count until forty nine days. According to the Kabbalah, every day has its own unique character, its own significance- and within it the opportunity for a specific kind of tikkun (*opportunity to repair or transform), personal or in the world at large, which can only happen through that day. Relative to the days of sefirat ha’omer, Shavuot is the end goal. (יעד). But the way we count the Omer teaches us that the way to arrive at that final destination is through being fully present each day along the way, and utilizing each day's unique potential. As Rabbi David Zeller said, “The way to count the days is by making the days count.”
- Likutei Halachot was composed in (c.1814 - c.1844 CE). Written by R. Nathan Sternhartz of Nemirov (1780–1845), this voluminous work — "Collected Laws" — follows the order of topics in the Shulchan Aruch, explaining them in the light of Breslov teachings. (from Sefaria.org)
(א) וְזֶהוּ "וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם"-'לָכֶם' לְעַצְמֵיכֶם. 'לָכֶם'-לְעַצְמֵיכֶם דַּיְקָא, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד צָרִיךְ לִסְפֹּר סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הִתְחַזְּקוּת הַנַּ"ל לְעַצְמוֹ כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהוּא וְלֹא יִפֹּל בְּדַעְתּוֹ מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁחֲבֵרָיו בְּנֵי גִּילוֹ טוֹבִים מִמֶּנּוּ הַרְבֵּה, כִּי אַף-עַל-פִּי שֶׁהוּא מִדָּה טוֹבָה לִהְיוֹת עָנָו וּלְהַחֲזִיק כָּל אָדָם טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ, אֲבָל אִם יִפֹּל בְּדַעְתּוֹ עַל-יְדֵי זֶה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֵין זֶה עֲנָוָה, אַדְּרַבָּא, זֶהוּ גַּדְלוּת גָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵין נָאֶה לוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲבֹד אֵיזֶה עֲבוֹדָה לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וַעֲדַיִן הוּא רָחוֹק כָּל כָּךְ וַחֲבֵרָיו כְּבָר זָכוּ לְמַה שֶּׁזָּכוּ, כִּי אָסוּר לְהַרְהֵר אַחֲרֵי הַמָּקוֹם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ מֵאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם הוּא וּבְאֵיזֶה מְקוֹמוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ עַל-יְדֵי מַעֲשָׂיו, כִּי אֵין אָדָם דּוֹמֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ כְּלָל. וְכֵן כָּל אָדָם שֶׁרוֹצֶה לָצֵאת מִטֻּמְאָתוֹ וְזֻהֲמָתוֹ, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּטָּהֲרוּ וְכוּ', צָרִיךְ לִסְפֹּר הַיָּמִים לְעַצְמוֹ דַּיְקָא וְאַל יַפִּיל אוֹתוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ כְּלָל, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וְזֶהוּ "וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם"-'לָכֶם' לְעַצְמֵיכֶם דַּיְקָא, וְהָבֵן הֵיטֵב .
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וּכְעֵין שֶׁכָּתַב רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה עַל פָּסוּק, "אֶחָד הָיָה אַבְרָהָם", שֶׁעִקַּר הִתְקָרְבוּת אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיָה עַל-יְדֵי שֶׁחָשַׁב תָּמִיד שֶׁהוּא רַק אֶחָד בָּעוֹלָם וְלֹא הִסְתַּכֵּל עַל שׁוּם מוֹנֵעַ וּמְעַכֵּב וּמְבַלְבֵּל וְכוּ', עַיֵּן בִּתְחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר לִקּוּטֵי תִּנְיָנָא עִנְיָן זֶה. וּבֶאֱמֶת כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ כַּמָּה מִינֵי מְנִיעוֹת מֵהַמּוֹנְעִים הָרְשָׁעִים אוֹ מִתְנַגְּדִים הָרוֹצִים לִמְנֹעַ מֵהָאֱמֶת בְּכַמָּה הֲסָתוֹת וּפִתּוּיִים וְדִבְרֵי לֵיצָנוּת וַחֲלַקְלַקּוּת וְכוּ', כֵּן יֵשׁ גַּם כַּמָּה מִינֵי מְנִיעוֹת וַחֲלִישׁוּת הַדַּעַת אֲפִלּוּ מֵחֲבֵירָיו וְאוֹהֲבָיו בֶּאֱמֶת. וְכָל זֶה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר בִּכְתָב רַק כָּל אֶחָד יָבִין בְּעַצְמוֹ כְּפִי עִנְיָנָיו וּכְנֶגֶד כָּל מִינֵי מְנִיעוֹת וַחֲלִישׁוּת הַדַּעַת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם צְרִיכִין לֵילֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַנַּ"ל בִּבְחִינַת אֶחָד הָיָה אַבְרָהָם לַחֲשֹׁב כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יְחִידִי בָּעוֹלָם כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם, 'לָכֶם'-לְעַצְמֵיכֶם כַּנַּ"ל.
“And you shall count for yourselves” (Vayikra, 23:15)
“For yourselves” actually means - for you. Counting the Omer is a process of strengthening yourself, and each individual must do that for themselves, based on who they are.
You should not feel bad because you imagine that you friends of your cohort are much better than you. It is true that being humble, and considering everyone else to be better than you is a good quality. But if this causes you bad feelings and despair, it is not humility. On the contrary, it is great arrogance. In essence you are saying - it is unseemly for me to engage in this particular service of God when I am so far from God, and everyone else has already achieved such amazing levels…
Do not question your place in God… who knows where you come from, and where your life has taken you, for no person is ever identical to another.
Therefore, if you want to get out of your own impurity and filth, for that is what counting the Omer is all about (As is taught that the Israelites counted in order to rid themselves of the impurity they had acquired in Egypt and become worthy of receiving Torah) you have to count the days specifically for you. Do not let whatever your friends are doing discourage you, heaven forbid. “Count for yourselves” means - count for you. Understand this well…
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Our teacher of blessed memory taught something similar regarding the verse - “Avraham was only one”(Yehezkel 33:24). He taught that the most important element that helped Avraham, peace upon him, draw close to God was that he considered himself alone in the world and paid no attention to obstacles, or delays or confusions. You can find this teaching at the beginning of the second volume of Likutei Moharan. The truth is that just like evil people who are trying to block you, or those who want to keep you from the truth with all kinds of temptations and tricks, can pose serious obstacles, so too can you be blocked and brought to despair by your friends and the people who truly love you. It is impossible to explain all of this in writing, but each person can apply it to their own experiences. In principle against all kinds of obstacles and loss of resolve, you should follow the path of “Avraham was only one” considering only your own process. “Count for yourselves” means - count for you.