Counting+the+Omer

Source:
[|Link to the Torah source for the mitzvah of ספירת העומר]. It is found in //parashat// Emor. 1) Looking at the entire text, what is the general subject being discussed here? 2) What instructions for counting do we receive? (From when do we count? For how long do we count? When does it end?)

Ritual Observances:
In remembrance of the tragic death of the 24,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva who died in a plague in the weeks between Passover and Shavuot, several mourning practices are observed during this period.

The mourning practices of the Omer period are observed beginning on the day after Passover. The end time for these observances differs from community to community and will be described below. In every Ashkenazi community (see below for the Sefardi custom), however, there is one day within this period on which mourning is suspended - Lag Ba'Omer - the 33rd day of the Omer count. It is on this day that the plague that struck the students of Rabbi Akiva finally ended. These are the customs regarding the end of mourning observances of the Omer:
 * 1) From the first day of the Omer count until the 33rd day of the Omer.
 * 2) From the first day of the Omer until the morning of the 34th day of the Omer (this is the prevailing Sephardic practice).
 * 3) From the 30th of Nissan (the first day of Rosh Chodesh Iyar ) until the morning of the 3rd of Sivan.
 * 4) From the second day of Iyar until the day before Shavuot.

The mourning observances during the Omer include the following:
 * 1) **Marriages and wedding celebrations.** It is permitted, however, to become engaged to marry during this time. A Bar or Bat mitzvah service can also be held, but the typical celebration parties would not be in line with the mourning practices of the Omer.
 * 2) **Cutting of one’s hair and shaving.** Haircutting is sometimes permitted under extenuating circumstances related to lifecycle celebrations or professional reasons that make it necessary to do so. In any of these cases, one should ask a Rabbi versed in the custom of your community.
 * 3) **Listening to instrumental music** (unless this is one’s livelihood).
 * 4) **Purchasing and wearing new garments** that bring joy due to their quality (e.g., a new dress suit or dress shoes). If one requires such garments for business purposes or the need to make a good first impression for any number of reasons, then it is permitted.

How to Count the Omer:
[|Counting the Omer Guide]