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I have been taught that we count the omer at night with a b'racha. Counting at night makes sense; it's the first opportunity to fulfill the commandment each day and we should rush to fulfill a mit...
Question
sefirat-ha-omer
#1: Initial revision
by
Monica Cellio
·
2022-05-29T17:42:57Z (over 2 years ago)
Why must the omer be counted at night?
I have been taught that we count the *omer* at night with a *b'racha*. Counting at night makes sense; it's the first opportunity to fulfill the commandment each day and we should rush to fulfill a *mitzvah*. I've also been taught that if you forget until the next morning, you *do* still count *but* you don't say the *b'racha*, either for that day or any following day. Once you miss a night you've broken the chain and are no longer fulfilling the commandment to count, but you should count anyway without the blessing. My question is: why is counting by day (when it's still that day of the *omer*, after all) so wrong that you can't say a *b'racha*, then or at any time following? I can see why it would be *preferable* to count at night, but this doesn't seem like missing, say, one of the three daily prayers, and the one you missed has now "expired". It's the Nth day of the *omer* all day, isn't it? What is the reasoning behind this *halacha*? Or have I learned it wrong? (No, I haven't missed; I'm just curious.)