The Torah commands us to count the days from Pesach to Shavuos in order to connect the Exodus on Pesach with the Giving of the Torah on Shavuos. The days of S’firas HaOmer are a time to rectify character attributes. Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that the name “Shavuos,” literally “Weeks,” so beautifully conveys this idea, since the holiday of Shavuos is an outcome of the weeks that precede it. For this very reason, the date of the holiday of Shavuos is determined by the 49 days of S’firas HaOmer, and not the date, because the 49 days prior, that are used to prepare, are essential to the holiday, and are required in full (see Sheim MiShmuel, BaMidbar 5675).
In Pirkei Avos (Ethics of the Fathers) 6:6, our Sages teach us that there are 48 attributes that we must perfect in order to acquire the Torah. As a prelude to Shavuos, the days of the Omer are designed for us to acquire these attributes and reach new spiritual heights.
In Pirkei Avos, we learn that the Torah is acquired through 48 qualities, which are: study, attentive listening, saying one’s studies aloud, intuitive understanding, discernment, awe of teachers, fear of Heaven, humility, joy, purity, serving the wise, being close with fellow students, evaluative discussion with fellow students, calmness, knowledge of Tanach, knowledge of Mishnah, moderation in business activity, moderation in worldly activity, moderation in physical pleasure, moderation in sleep, moderation in speech, moderation in merry-making, slowness to anger, having a good heart, faith in the Sages, accepting suffering, knowing one’s place, being happy with whatever one has, making a fence around one’s words, not boasting, endearing oneself to others, loving G-d, loving His creatures, loving righteousness, loving justice, loving to have one’s mistakes corrected, keeping far from honor, not being arrogant about one’s knowledge, not enjoying making halachic decisions, sharing another person’s troubles, judging others positively, setting them in the path of truth, setting them in the path of peace, teaching calmly, asking and answering, listening and adding insights, studying in order to teach, studying in order to do the mitzvos, making one’s teacher wiser, reflecting over one’s lessons, and repeating an idea in the name of the person who said it first.
For we learned that whoever repeats an idea in the name of the originator brings redemption to the world – as it says in the Megillah, “And Esther told it to the King in Mordechai’s name” (Esther 2:22). Pirkei Avos 6:6
Our Sages teach us that the 49 days of S’firah parallel the 48 qualities that must be developed in order to acquire the Torah. The first 48 days of the S’firah should be used for working on each of those qualities, and the 49th is a day to complete the process. When we reach the end of S’firas HaOmer, we should be energized by the messages of this period of the year and by the new spiritual heights that we obtained. If we really use the S’firah period properly, then we truly will be ready to receive the Torah on Shavuos.
List of People Who Need a r’fuah sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Yitzchak ben Mazal Tov
Yaakov Yosef ben Blima
Shmaryahu ben Raizel Shoshanah Miriam
Yisrael ben Raizel Shoshanah Miriam
Avraham David Ben Ruchama
Chaim Lev ben Chayah Sarah
David Ben-Zion ben Chanah
Tziporah bas Fruma
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Mitali Naomi bas Gilah Farcha
Hinda Brachah bas Sima Golda
Yael Shoshanah bas Chanah Freidel
Sarah bas Bitiyah
Cindy Chanah bas Malkah
Naomi Chavah bas Chanah Rivkah
Heleni Orna bas Chen Chanah
Israeli Soldiers (Please recite Psalms 25, 26, 46, 83, 142.)
Ben Zion Yitzchak ben Ilanah Malkah
Aharon Simchah ben Meirah Ilanah
David ben Rivkah Zlata
Matnia ben Sarah
Yehudah Chaim ben Mina Chayah
Yehudah ben Baila
Shai ben Baila
Ro’i ben Baila
Asaf ben Tamar
Avitar ben Tamar
Elad ben Tamar
Amit Levy ben Dalit
Menachem ben Aliza Esther
Yehoshua ben Aliza Esther
Binyamin ben Chanah
Yoel Tzvi ben Adinah Shoshanah
Moshe Avraham ben Malkah Rivkah
Yosef Rachamim ben Sarah
Binyamin Moshe ben Sarah
Yosef Elyasaf ben Devorah
Menachem Shlomo ben Miriam Tamara
Omer ben Sigal
Moshe David ben Chavah Leah
Shmuel Yonah ben Leah
Yehoshua Hershel ben Chanah
Alexander Gedalia ben Chayah Basyah
Ezra Yisrael ben Chayah Basyah
Harel ben Chanah
Oz ben Smadar
Omer ben Michal
Reef ben Eti
Aryeh Eitam ben Raya
Amit Yosef ben Devorah
Michel ben Naomi Sarah
Ravid ben Nega
Aviad ben Liat
Ohen ben Inav
Ori ben Leorah
Amit ben Sanhav
Omri ben Ilat
Sivan ben Halan
Ori ben Leora
Moshe Yosef ben Raizel Chayah
Nir Gutman ben Miriam
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
