The Omer and Honey

From the Downs to the Ups

In the time of the Beit HaMikdash, in Jerusalem, the cutting and reaping of the Omer was carried out amid much public ceremony on the second night of Passover, (when the second Seder is celebrated outside of Israel). The "Omer" was made of early ripening barley, ideally grown in fertile fields close to Jerusalem, which were tied into special bundles beforehand.

On the night of the 16th on Nisan, these specific bundles of barley were harvested, collected in baskets and brought into the Beit HaMikdash where they were beaten, winnowed and then toasted in preparation for the next morning’s milling. This barley, which was called the Omer was quickly ground into "Omer-flour" and sifted through thirteen successively fine sieves before being mixed with olive oil and shaped into special cakes called the "Minchat HaOmer".

This ceremonial "meal offering" of barley was then performed in the Beis HaMikdash and only afterwards were the new crops of wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye permitted for harvesting and eating. While wheat was generally used for meal-offerings in the Beit HaMikdash, in this case, barley was the grain of choice. It is interesting to note, however, that the Chumash notes in Parashat Naso that barley is a grain that is often used for animal feed and was symbolically used to establish the innocence of a wife, if she was wrongly accused of misconduct by her husband.

On the other hand, honey is the sweetest natural product in the world; the apex of sweet gustatorial delight. In the words of the sixteenth century kabbalist Rabbi Eliezer Azikri in his hymn "Yedid Nefesh", the only concept sweeter than the "dripping of the honeycomb" is the closeness between G-d and His beloved People. "...to him [the Jewish Nation], Your friendship will be sweeter than the dripping of the honeycomb and any taste...".

What can we learn from the juxtaposition between barley, a grain that is representative of so shameful a situation, and honey, the zenith of delight so elevated that it was virtually forbidden in the Beit HaMikdash for fear that if it were mixed with the "ketores", (the incense,) the resulting fragrance would be more than mortal man could endure?

Self improvement is the divine right of every man. Recognition that personal progress is possible is vital to growth and renewal, because while admittedly no one is perfect, we, as perceptive Jews, can change upwardly. It is the barley which is chosen first, among all the grains and brought into the arena of sanctity in an aura of festivity and joy. Therefore, every Jew at every level can elevate himself to the sweetest, finest substance created, like the most excellent golden honey.

In fact, this is what the "Counting of the Omer" is all about. At the time of the Exodus, the Jewish Nation had reached the 49th level of profanity. Yet, with each succeeding day, the nation rose-elevating itself to the 49th level of sanctity-turning every grain of barley, as it were, to a golden drop of honey-worthy of receiving the Torah. All of history-even the good parts, are destined to be repeated.

The time to start is now.

The Omer and Honey
Peaks and Valleys - The Good Omer and the Bad Omer
Omer Personalities - R' Akiva and R' Shimon Bar Yochai
From Beast to Man
From Matzos to Cheesecake
Lag B'Omer - Breaking up the Count
Mitzvah lesaper et haMispar hamesaper
Not Fowl, but Foul
One Long Party: Pesach to Shavuot
Oops, I forgot to Count the Omer
Sheva Shabbatot temimot tiyenah
The Best Unbroken Chain
The Mourning after the Night Before
The Students of Rabbi Akiva
What Does Lev Tov Have to do with Sfira?
The Counting of The Omer
Lag B'Omer - The 33rd Day