SHALOM!

Iyar (Hebrew: אִייָר‎ or אִיָּר, Standard Iyyar Tiberian ʾIyyār; from Akkadian ayyaru, meaning “Rosette; blossom”) is the eighth month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the second month of the ecclesiastical year (which starts on 1 Nisan) on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin.

Numbers 28:11-13 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Rosh Chodesh: New Moon

¹¹ “On the first of the month you are to present to Adonai a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven flawless male lambs a year old, ¹² with three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each bull, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with the ram, ¹³ and with each lamb a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to Adonai.

We are currently in the Month of Iyar / Iyyar – the eighth month of the Hebrew calendar when counting from September / October time of the Hebrew month of Tishri. Iyar is the second month on the Jewish calendar counting from Nissan.

Shortly after the Exodus, the thirsty Israelites reached a well of bitter water. Moses cast a tree into the water, and it miraculously became sweet.  YAHWEH then promised that if Israelfollowed His ways, “the diseases I have placed on Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am YAHWEH your Healer (אני י‑י רפאך).” The acronym for this last phrase spells out the name of the month of Iyar (אייר), thus indicating that Iyar is a propitious time for healing.

Although Iyar does not contain many “special days,” every single day of the month is included in the Sefirat HaOmer counting—the Mitzvah to count each of the 49 days between Passoverand Shavuot. Sefirat HaOmer is a period of introspection and self-refinement, as we prepare ourselves to receive the TORAH anew on Shavuot. Each day of Iyar represents another step in this spiritual journey toward Sinai.

The 14th day of Iyar is Pesach Sheni, “the second Passover.” The TORAH describes how YAHWEH created this holiday at the request of those who, for reasons beyond their control, were unable to offer the paschal sacrifice in its proper time. One month later, they received a second chance. Pesach Sheni reminds us that it’s never too late. With sincere effort, yesterday’s missed opportunity can become today’s achievement.

The OMER refers to the forty-nine day period between the second night of Passover (Pesach) and the holiday of Shavuot. This period marks the beginning of the barley harvest when, in ancient times, Jews would bring the first sheaves to the Temple as a means of thanking YAHUVEH for the harvest. The word omer literally means “sheaf” and refers to these early offerings.

The TORAH itself dictates the counting of the seven weeks following Pesach: “You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach, when an omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days, and you shall present a new meal offering to God (Leviticus 23:15-16).”

In its biblical context, this counting appears only to connect the first grain offering to the offering made at the peak of the harvest. As the holiday of Shavuot became associated with the giving of the TORAH, and not only with a celebration of agricultural bounty, the omer period began to symbolize the thematic link between Peach and Shavuot.

While Pesach celebrates the initial liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, Shavuot marks the culmination of the process of liberation, when the Jews became an autonomous community with their own laws and standards. Counting up to Shavuot reminds us of this process of moving from a slave mentality to a more liberated one.

The omer is counted each evening after sundown. The counting of the omer is generally appended to the end of Ma’ariv (the evening service), as well.