JERUSALEM—This spring, as Israelis mark the seventeenth day of the Omer, the ancient Jewish ritual of daily counting from Passover to Shavuot is infused with heightened urgency and meaning. Traditionally a 49-day period of spiritual reflection, the Omer now binds a nation grappling with trauma and resilience in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre—the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust—and the ongoing war for Israel’s survival.
A Tradition Anchored in Crisis
The Counting of the Omer dates back to Biblical times, when the Jewish nation offered a barley sheaf (omer) in the Temple and counted forty-nine days to Shavuot, the festival marking the revelation at Mount Sinai. Each night, Jews recite a distinct blessing: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the Counting of the Omer.” The tradition celebrates freedom and spiritual ascent, but also incorporates periods of mourning for historic tragedies that befell the Jewish people during this time.
This year, with Israel at war after an Iran-backed Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis, wounded thousands, and resulted in the kidnapping of more than 200 hostages into Gaza, the Omer count becomes a daily national act of remembrance and fortitude. Families light candles, pray for the return of abducted civilians and soldiers, and recite blessings while surrounded by reminders of loss and unresolved crisis.
The Ritual and Its Meanings
The spiritual purpose of the Omer—personal and communal refinement—serves as a framework for Israel’s society to reflect on unity and perseverance. The recitation, “Today is the seventeenth day of the Omer, making two weeks and three days,” underlines the passage of time during a period of national testing. The closing plea, “May the Merciful One restore the service of the Temple to its place swiftly in our days,” now doubles as a call for restoration of peace and security to a country under assault.
National Mourning and Hope
The period of the Omer is traditionally marked as semi-mourning, with limitations on celebrations—a custom widely observed as communities mourn for those killed in terrorist attacks and pray for the hostages’ safe return. Jewish law prescribes that if a person has missed the start of the Omer count, he or she may continue counting but without reciting the blessing. The nuance of this law finds contemporary resonance as Israelis try to maintain tradition amid constant disruptions, reflecting both the constraints and tenacity of Jewish continuity.
Context: War Imposed by Iran and Its Proxies
The necessity of maintaining tradition has become more pronounced as Israel contends with sustained rocket fire, frontline combat, and ongoing uncertainty regarding the fate of hostages. Iran’s support for Hamas and its orchestration of a regional axis aligned against Israel—including Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen—remains the core strategic threat behind the violence, framing Israel’s war as one of existential self-defense. Israeli leaders continue to emphasize the moral gulf between the nation’s commitment to protect civilians and the terror groups’ acts of violence, torture, and abduction.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), under the command of Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, conduct operations to dismantle terror infrastructure in Gaza and pursue intelligence on hostages, often risking their lives to minimize harm to Gaza residents used as human shields by Hamas. The government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared the return of hostages and restoration of national security as top priorities—efforts widely supported by Israel’s public, who rally nightly in support of the captives’ families and in prayer for deliverance.
Moral and Legal Distinctions
Integral to this year’s Omer observance is the assertion that those held captive in Gaza are innocent victims of aggression, not to be conflated morally or legally with convicted terrorists sometimes released in exchange for their freedom. The ritual reinforces collective memory, emphasizing the distinction—rooted in both international law and Jewish ethics—between self-defense and aggression, civilian innocence and terrorist culpability.
Global Resonance and Misunderstandings
As international media and diplomatic forums sometimes blur the lines between aggressor and defender, the lived reality in Israel is clear: the Omer provides a spiritual and cultural backbone in the midst of unremitting adversity. The experience of October 7th, and its aftermath, has catalyzed deeper engagement with rituals and a renewed sense that survival, once again, depends not only upon military preparedness but upon unity, faith, and remembrance.
From Past to Present: Historical Continuity
For millennia, the Omer linked the springtime agricultural cycle to moments of both calamity and redemption—whether Roman repression, medieval expulsions, or Shoah. Today, the tradition endures as a defiant declaration: Jewish peoplehood and the sovereignty embodied in Israel will not be broken by violence. Hamas—and its backers in Tehran—have failed to extinguish the hope or fracture the spirit at the heart of Israeli society.
Conclusion: Renewal Amid Adversity
As Israel counts the days toward Shavuot, the process is not rote ritual but a conscious reaffirmation of purpose, peoplehood, and destiny. Solemn prayers—”May the Merciful One restore the Temple service to its place, speedily in our days. Amen, Selah.”—now carry both religious yearning and national longing for safety, justice, and homecoming. In the shadow of trauma and war, the ancient rhythm of the Omer continues, anchoring hope and determination for a future secured against hatred, and rooted in unbreakable faith.
