There is a well-known Halacha that if a person misses an entire day of counting during the Omer, he counts on the subsequent days without reciting a Beracha. In the case of the Rabbi of a synagogue who misses a day of counting, this could lead to a humiliating situation. After all, the Rabbi is generally the one who leads the counting in the synagogue, and if the Rabbi is unable to recite the Beracha, this would cause him personal embarrassment and also infringe upon Kabod Ha’Torah – the honor owed to him as a scholar and representative of Torah. In light of the potential embarrassment and infringement upon the honor of Torah, is there room to allow the Rabbi to continue counting with a Beracha?
This question was addressed by Rav Shemuel Halevi Wosner (contemporary), in his responsa Shebet Halevi (3:96). He compares this situation to a Halacha discussed in the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 92:1; listen to audio recording for precise citation) concerning one who must use the restroom. Halacha strictly forbids praying while one feels the need to use the restroom, and if one prays under such conditions, his prayer is considered "abominable" and must be repeated. The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles, 1525-1572) adds that it is similarly forbidden to study Torah when experiencing the need to perform one’s bodily functions. However, the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933), commenting on this Halacha, makes an exception in the case of a Rabbi who feels the need to use the restroom while delivering a lecture. Clearly, it would cause him great embarrassment to interrupt his address in order to use the restroom, and the Mishna Berura therefore permits him to continue speaking. He explains that the prohibition against restraining oneself ("Bal Teshakesu") applies on the level of Rabbinic enactment, rather than Torah law, and Rabbinic enactments are suspended for the sake of Kebod Ha’beriyot – maintaining human dignity. In order to spare the Rabbi embarrassment, then, Halacha allows him to continue delivering the lecture despite the need to use the restroom.
The Shebet Halevi notes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that this should apply to the case of Sefirat Ha’omer, as well, and all the more so. There are authorities who maintain that each night of counting constitutes an independent Misva, such that one who forgets to count one day nevertheless continues counting with a Beracha. Although we generally do not follow this view, it would appear that when a Rabbi’s dignity is at stake, we may allow him to rely on this opinion and continue counting with a Beracha. Even though the accepted Halachic ruling does not allow reciting a Beracha after a day is missed, in the interest of preserving the Rabbi’s honor we allow him to rely on the lenient position. Therefore, he may continue reciting a Beracha before counting the Omer each night, despite the fact that he had missed an entire day of counting.
Summary: If a Rabbi missed a day of counting during the Omer, and it would be embarrassing and undignified for him not to lead the communal counting on the subsequent nights, he may count with a Beracha when leading the congregation in Sefirat Ha’omer.
