DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 842 KB)
Sefirat Ha'omer – A Person Who is Unsure Whether He Counted

A famous Halacha establishes that if a person neglected to count one of the days of the Omer, he continues counting on the subsequent nights without a Beracha. The Terumat Ha'deshen (Rabbi Yisrael Isserlin, 1390-1460) raises the question of whether this would apply also to a person who cannot remember whether or not he counted one day of the Omer. Must he assume that he missed a day and must therefore omit the Beracha henceforth, or may he assume that he did count, such that hey can continue counting as usual, with a Beracha?

The Terumat Ha'deshen rules that a person in this case may continue counting with a Beracha, due to the principle of "Sefek Sefeka," or a "double doubt." There is a famous debate between the Behag ("Ba'al Halachot Gedolot," an anonymous Halachic work from the Geonic period) and Tosefot concerning the nature of the Sefirat Ha'omer obligation. The Behag perceived Sefirat Ha'omer as a single Misva that extends over a forty-nine-day period. As such, if a person neglected to count on any one of the forty-nine days, he can no longer fulfill the Misva. Tosefot, however, viewed each day's counting as a separate Misva, which does not depend on any other day's counting. As such, if a person missed a day or several days of counting, this does not affect his obligation on subsequent nights, and he therefore continues to count as usual.

Thus, if a person cannot remember whether or not he counted on a certain day of the Omer, on the subsequent nights he faces a "double doubt." First, he may have in fact counted, in which case he may continue counting with a Beracha. But in addition, even if he missed a day's counting, perhaps Halacha follows the position of Tosefot, that a missed day has no effect on the subsequent days of the Omer. The principle of "Sefek Sefeka" establishes that one may act leniently in situations of a "double doubt," and thus the Terumat Ha'deshen rules that in such a case one may continue counting with a Beracha. This ruling is codified by the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 489).

It must be emphasized that this applies only to a person who cannot remember whether or not he counted on a certain day. If a person is certain that he missed a day of counting, then he continues counting without a Beracha, in deference to the Behag's position.

Summary: A person who forgot to count a day of the Omer continues counting on subsequent nights without a Beracha. If, however, a person is uncertain whether or not he counted on a certain day, he may continue counting as usual, with a Beracha.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Shabbat – Ensuring That the Countertop is Dry Before Putting Down a Hot Pot
Reheating Solid Food With Some Liquid on Shabbat
Is it Permissible to Eat Soup That Was Reheated on Shabbat?
Placing Cold Liquid Near the Stove on Shabbat
Placing a Raw Food Next to a Hot Food on a Plate on Shabbat
Can A Man or Woman Eat or Drink Prior To Kiddush On Shabbat Morning
Asking a Gentile to Write on One’s Behalf on Shabbat
Is It Permissible To Take Vitamins On Shabbat
Tying Knots on Shabbat-Basic Understandings of Restrictions and Permissions
Is It Permissible To Trap Pets in the House on Shabbat?
Is It Permissible To Eat A Meal Just Prior To Shabbat
Is It Permissible to Lace Shoes on Shabbat?
Is It Permissible to Set Up a Mousetrap on Shabbat?
May One Move a Garment on Shabbat if There is Money in the Pocket?
Is It Permissible To Cover A Pot with its Cover or Tin Foil or Other on Shabbat
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found