Counting The Omer to Shavuot

Perhaps you're excited to embrace the appointed times mentioned in scripture. But after following what others have been sharing with you you dig deeper and find out there are different opinions. Not just what calendar to follow but what day does the count of the Omer begin?  We thought the answer was straightforward. But come to find out, it isn't.  It was only this past month when I read a post on Facebook from Itzhak Shapira that caused me to pause. Since then I have discovered that there have been at least 4 different ways to interpret Lev 23:15 

​

And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering– the day after the sabbath — you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete:

​

Which Sabbath is the instruction directing our attention to? There are 4 interpretations as to when to start the count:

​

1. Start on the 1st day of the week, after the 7-day festival (practiced by Essenes, Sadducees, Samaritans)

​

2. The 1st day of the week during the festival of Matzot (practiced by Karaite Jews)

​

3. Because the day after the Pesach meal is a rest day, the count begins on the 16th day of the month of Nisan (practiced by Philo, Josephus, Pharisees, and Rabbis)

​

4. On the 1st day after the entire 7-day festival of Matzot is over (practiced by Beta Israel/Falasha/Ethiopian Jews).

​

The spreadsheet here shows the 4 different ways to man has interpreted this instruction. But since our research shows that all things are in relationship to one another we thought we'd let you see these in real time so that you might decide for yourselves and see how all these different interpretations fall in line with other events as shown.  Leave a comment if you have an opinion.