{"id":15593,"date":"2024-04-21T18:52:30","date_gmt":"2024-04-21T17:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/?p=15593"},"modified":"2025-08-23T12:14:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T11:14:29","slug":"counting-the-omer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/fr\/counting-the-omer\/","title":{"rendered":"QUE PEUVENT APPRENDRE LES NOACHIDES DE \u201c L\u2019OMER \u201d ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u05d1\u05e1”\u05d3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 49 Days of \u201cthe Omer\u201d and what Noahides can learn from them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the weeks after their Exodus from Egypt  the Jewish people counted the days, in eager anticipation of receiving the Torah from G-d at Mount Sinai.  They counted 49 days before the day of the momentous event arrived. Subsequently, they received a Torah commandment to comemmorate those days by counting them during that time every year. This counting of the Omer \/ Sefirat HaOmer<\/em> does not have direct significance for Noahides. The question is, is there something associated with that practice that can be helpful for them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal Significance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Exodus from Egypt and the acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people are pivotal events with far-reaching implications for the entire world. The Sages tell us that had the Jewish people not accepted the Torah, G-d forbid, G-d would have reverted the world to the emptiness and darkness at the outset of creation. With the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, G-d revealed His purpose for creation and made His covenant with the Jewish people. Through Moses, G-d also reaffirmed the Seven Noahide Commandments for all of humanity. That took place on the 4th<\/sup> day of Sivan, before He spoke the 10 Commandments to all the Jewish People. We read in Exodus 24:3<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong><\/a>Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of Hashem and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, \u201cAll the things that Hashem has commanded we will do!\u201d<\/td>		 <\/td>\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05d1\u05b9\u05a3\u05d0 \u05de\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u0597\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05e1\u05b7\u05e4\u05b5\u05bc\u05a4\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd\u0599 \u05d0\u05b5\u059a\u05ea \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05a3\u05d9 \u05d3’ \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u0596\u05ea \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8\u05b4\u0591\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05a8\u05e2\u05b7\u05df \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u059c\u05dd \u05e7\u05a4\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b8\u05d3\u0599 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05a3\u05d0\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u0594\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u059b\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05a5\u05e8 \u05d3’ \u05e0\u05b7\u05bd\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05bd\u05c2\u05d4<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is a hint in Rashi’s commentary that Hashem restated the Seven Mitzvot at this time, He points out that with \u201cthe judgments\u201d, mishpatim in Hebrew, the 7 Noahide Laws are meant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

AND ALL THE JUDGMENTS which had been ordained before the Sinaitic legislation: the seven commands given to the \u201cSons of Noah\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Days of the Omer: A Time of Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey from Egypt to Sinai spanned 49 days, during which the Jewish people counted the days until they would receive the Torah from G-d. Subsequently, they received a commandment to follow that practice every year, as detailed in Leviticus 23:15-16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong><\/a>And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering\u2014the day after the sabbath\u2014you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete:<\/td>		 <\/td>\u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05a4\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u05dd\u0599 \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05bd\u05d7\u05b3\u05e8\u05b7\u05a3\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b7\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u0594\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd\u0599 \u05d4\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05a3\u05d9\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b6\u0594\u05dd \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e2\u05b9\u0596\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b8\u0591\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a5\u05d1\u05b7\u05e2 \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u0596\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b9\u05a5\u05ea \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05bd\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05bd\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4<\/td><\/tr>
you must count until the day after the seventh week\u2014fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to Hashem<\/td> <\/td>\u05e2\u05b7\u05a3\u05d3 \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05bd\u05d7\u05b3\u05e8\u05b7\u05a4\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b7\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u0599 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u0594\u05ea \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u0596\u05d5\u05bc \u05d7\u05b2\u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b4\u05bc\u05c1\u05a3\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u0591\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u059b\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05a5\u05d4 \u05d7\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u0596\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d3<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>This Jewish commandment, known as the Counting of the Omer, serves as preparation for the significant event of their receiving the Torah annually on their festival of Shavuot. It also became a Jewish practice to use those days for tikkun hamiddot<\/em>, the focused and conscious effort to improve (tikkun)<\/em> the 49 (7×7) dimensions of their 7 emotional attributes (middot)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noahides and the Days of the Omer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As stated above, the receiving of the Torah by the Jews is significant for the world, and it marks an important moment for Noahides as well, as the Seven Noahide Commandments were confirmed at that time as part of the eternal Torah. Pious Noahides accept that they should adhere to these commandments (mitzvot)<\/em> because they were commanded by G-d at Sinai through Moses. This is important because the Rambam teaches us in Laws of Kings 8:11 the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their observance is considered one of ‘the pious among the gentiles’ and will merit a share in the World to Come.
This applies only when he accepts them and fulfills them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moses, our teacher, that Noah’s descendants had been commanded to fulfill them previously.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While the ritual of the counting of the Omer is specifically a mitzvah for Jews, could it  be relevant for non-Jews to also pay attention to developing their character traits during this period as well?

My personal experience confirms this. In the year I began my search, the Christian “Lenten period” and the 49 days of the Omer aligned. The 49 days were the time I needed to detach myself from Christianity, days in which questions went unanswered and nothing was learned. The 49 days of the Omer, including actively focusing on the character traits associated with those days and finding answers, led me to consciously choose to become a Noahide on the 50th day. Every year since then, I have devoted extensive attention to these days. Not because you shouldn’t work on developing your character traits on other days, but because it helps to take specific days each year to reflect more than usual. Precisely because the Jewish tradition, from which we learn, pays attention to these days and you can now take advantage of various apps and on-line lessons, it is easier to be consciously engaged in this process.

Just as this period led me to consciously become a Noahide, I hope that when non-Jews use this time to improve their character traits, they will become attached to the Seven Noahide Laws and the associated way of life, and decide to accept them.  This period is an appropriate time to both individually and communally accept and affirm the Noahide laws. This acceptance does not require a Beis Din or witnesses, but may be done individually or personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s consider the emotional character traits we are talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These seven fundamental emotional traits form the foundation of our inner world:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These seven emotion attributes of the human soul correspond to the seven Divine attributes that King David spoke of in the verse I Chronicles 29:11 [1]<\/a> \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n