Counting with Precision
Halacha, Meaning, and the Inner Work of Sefirat HaOmer
This series offers a deep, text-based exploration of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 489), unpacking the halachic framework of Sefirat HaOmer with precision and clarity. Through close reading and rigorous source analysis, we examine how the laws are formulated, what they require in practice, and the legal reasoning that underpins them.
Alongside the halachic discussion, the series draws out the spiritual, ethical, and personal dimensions of the mitzvah, offering a structured path of growth as we journey toward Matan Torah.
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Episode Two: Counting Vicariously
Fulfilling Your Obligation by Power of Attorney
In this second installment of Counting with Precision, we continue our analysis of the legal principles governing Sefirat HaOmer through the precise syntax of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 489).
This session addresses a foundational question: Can the individual obligation to count the Omer be fulfilled through another person’s act of articulation? Through careful, text-based analysis of the Alter Rebbe’s formulation and its classical sources, we examine the nature of this personal mitzvah obligation and whether it admits any form of agency.
If the obligation cannot be discharged through another’s counting, we will further explore whether merely being within earshot carries any halachic significance.
By closely attending to the Alter Rebbe’s language and conceptual structure, participants will develop a clear and foundational understanding of these principles. The discussion will extend beyond technical halacha to illuminate the broader theme of individual responsibility — clarifying what role, if any, others can play in one’s personal growth during the Sefirah period.
This episode has been dedicated by Michelle Kahn in loving memory of her brother, Micha’el Kalman ben Tzvi Mordechai ז״ל.
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