Instructions for counting the omer are found on our Omer Overview Page. You can find the specific blessing for today at chabad.org.

We’re dedicating a new Sefer Torah on the first day of Shavuot. In honor of this joyous occasion, we’re using the counting of the Omer to take a whirlwind trip through the Torah

Today’s portion is Emor from the book of Leviticus. Today’s insight was generously provided by Harold D.

The beginning of this torah portion speaks of the prohibitions that Kohanim, the descendants of Moses’ brother Aaron are subject to in terms of who they can marry or whose funerals they can attend. I don’t think I can offer any insight on this as I can’t really claim to understand it. The second part of the portion lists the Sabbath and the holidays. It specifies the holidays in which work is prohibited: The Sabbath, the first and seventh day of Passover, one day for Shavuot, one day for Rosh Hashana, one day for Yom Kippur, and two days for Sukkot for a maximum total of 59 days per year. For those in Diaspora, the Rabbis added six more days.

Admittedly, in my career and when I went to school, not being able to work on those days has added stress sometimes. I did go through a part of my life however, when I often worked on those days. I didn’t have balance in my life and it became difficult as work sometimes consumed me and I neglected other pats of my life. Eventually, productivity suffers. Dedicating some days to family, community, and God did restore some balance in my life and gave respite to deal effectively with the challenges that life presents.