It is a mitzvah to count the days from the second night of Pesach until Shavuot. By actually counting out loud each night, we mark the days from our physical liberation from Egypt to our spiritual liberation at Mount Sinai. In some ways, it is a very short time, since it only takes forty-nine days, that is seven times seven, to get from Egypt to Sinai. Then, on the fiftieth day, we receive the words that will be the basis for generations of exploration. Farmers count the days so they can approximate the first harvest of barley which was the first grain to be harvested in ancient days. The rest of us, those who are more distant from the ancient soil, count for other reasons. Our Siddur, Lev Shalem (p. 63) describes this counting in a more mystical, spiritual way:

The Torah mentions the exodus from Egypt fifty times, hinting that there are fifty steps or aspects to coming out of the mindset of slavery. Indeed, the Torah teaches that the Israelites went up out of Egypt, chamushim (Exodus 13:18) which literally means “armed” but may also suggest “one-fiftieth.” Thus, on the first day of Pesach, we may be said to have walked through the first of fifty gates toward genuine freedom. To complete the exodus, we must journey through another forty-nine gates. 

-Based on the Netivot Shalom

How can we use the magical time between Pesach and Shavuot, between the delicious tastes of family, friends and memories and the joy of receiving Torah and the taste of cheesecake?

How can we move from Mitzrayim, the narrow places, to a feeling of wholeness and beauty and growth?

Here are a couple of resources - and there are many more on the web - for taking the journey that lies in front of us:

• The Homer Calendar
• Something to think about each night of counting.
• A musical niggun before counting.
• American Jewish World Service resources.
• All sorts of LGBTQ+ inclusive resources.

Chag Sameach! May you have a sweet and liberating Passover

Rabbi