Customs of Sefirat HaOmer
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Customs of mourning during the Sefira
- There’s three basic minhagim about the mourning period between Pesach and Shavuot.
The first minhag
- One practice is to mourn the first 33 days from the beginning of the Omer until the 34th day in the morning. This practice is followed by Sephardim. [1]
The second minhag
- A second practice is to mourn from the beginning of the Omer until the 33rd day in the morning. This practice is followed by most Ashkenazim. [2]
The third minhag
- A third practice is to mourn 33 not consecutive days during the Omer.
The reason for this minhag is that the students died the entire time between Pesach and Shavuot except for 16 non-consecutive days (which have no Tachanun which are 7 days of Pesach, 7 Shabbatot, 2 days of Rosh Chodesh).
- Some observe this practice by mourning from the day after Rosh Chodesh Iyar until Erev Shavuot excluding Lag BaOmer. [3]
- Some observe this practice by mourning from the first day of Rosh Chodesh Iyar until the third day before Shavuot. [4]
- Some observe this practice by mourning from after Issru Chag until Rosh Chodesh Sivan excluding the two days of Rosh Chodesh Iyar and Lag BaOmer. [5]
- Some observe this practice by mourning all the days of the Omer expect for Rosh Chodesh Iyar and Sivan. [6]
- This practice is followed by some Ashkenazim. [7]
- ↑ The source for this minhag is the Teshuvah of R. Yehoshua Ibn Shuib (quoted by the Bet Yosef in the beginning of 493) which says that the students of Rabbi Akiva died during the Omer except for the last 15 days which leaves the first 34 days, however, based on Miksat HaYom KeKulo (a minority of the day is considered like a whole day) one may stop mourning on the morning of the 34th. This is the ruling of S”A 493:2 and the practice of Sephardim as recorded in Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A 493:1). This is explained clearly in Biur HaGra 493:6 D”H Nohagin, Biur Halacha 493 D”H Yesh Nohagim, and http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/714562/Rabbi_Josh_Flug/The_Mourning_Period_Of_Sefirat_Ha'omer.
- ↑ The source for this minhag is the Rama 493:2 who holds that the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying on the 33rd day of the Omer and by the principle of Miksat HaYom KeKulo (a minority of the day is considered like a whole day) one may stop mourning on the morning of the 33rd. This is the explanation of the Biur HaGra 493:9 D”H UMarbim, and the practice of Ashkenazim as recorded by Halachically Speaking (Volume 3, Issue 8, page 3). This is explained clearly in Biur Halacha 493 D”H Yesh Nohagim and http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/714562/Rabbi_Josh_Flug/The_Mourning_Period_Of_Sefirat_Ha'omer.
- ↑ Magan Avraham 489:5
- ↑ Magan Avraham 489:5
- ↑ Mishna Brurah 489:15 quoting the Siddur Derech Chaim
- ↑ Sh”t Igrot Moshe 1:159 explains that the reason for this minhag is that it holds that the students of Rabbi Akiva died on all the days between Pesach and Shavuot except for the 16 days when one can not say Tachanun (7 days of Pesach, 6 Shabbatot, 3 days of Rosh Chodesh) and so the minhag forbids getting married and cutting hair the entire Sefira except for Rosh Chodesh Iyar and Sivan (and Pesach and Shabbat are already forbidden to get married).
- ↑ Mishna Brurah 489:5
