Passover II

“Counting the Omer”
(Revised and updated from Passover II 5768-2008)

The period of the counting of the Omer commences on the second night of Passover. In ancient Temple times, it was on the second day of Passover that the barley offering was brought, allowing the use and consumption of the newly harvested crop. Today, the Omer period is an ambivalent period on the Jewish calendar. Although it is a period of semi-mourning, it is also a period of significant optimism, when Jews look forward toward redemption and revelation, just as the Exodus led the ancient Hebrews to Mount Sinai and the receiving of the Torah.

“On the Seventh Day the Walls of Water Split”
(Revised and updated from Passover 5765-2005)

According to tradition, the Children of Israel marched through the Sea of Reeds (the Red Sea) on the seventh day of Passover. The Torah, in Exodus 14, declares twice that “the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left.” This unusual repetition of the phrase begs elucidation, and, of course, there is much to learn from this repetition.

“Passover: The Final Days ”

The splitting of the Red Sea was not only necessary to ensure the physical rescue of the Israelites, but also to prepare the people for their new future in the Promised Land.

“The Final Days of Passover: Love and Hope"

The final days of Passover are a precursor to the “End of Days.” They reflect the hope that the Messianic days are at hand, when peace will prevail on earth and when Israel’s special love relationship with G-d Al-mighty will be fully restored.