Rabbi Howard Morrison

On the second night of Pesach, we began to count the seven weeks of the Omer, which unite the festivals of Pesach and Shavuot.

In the modern Jewish calendar, we have already seen the entries of Yom Ha'Shoah, Yom Ha'Zikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut into the Omer season. 

The Biblical origin of counting the Omer appears in this week's portion of Emor in a section which digests the appointed seasons of the Jewish calendar.

In the aftermath of Emor, we will celebrate Lag B'Omer next Tuesday, May 9, a day of rejoicing when much of the Omer period is associated with historical sadness.

On the 28th of Iyar, Friday May 19th, we will celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, which commemorates the miracle of the six day war in 1967 and the reunification of Jerusalem.

Over the years, I have had a poster at home entitled, "Yerushalayim K'Achat - Jerusalem as one." A half of the poster visually depicts the old city, and the other half visually depicts the new city.

With Parshat Emor, we read the origin of counting the Omer and the continued admixture of old and new in the Jewish calendar.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison