Welcome to Daily Bitachon , a special Shabbat edition. We are currently in the period of Sefirat Ha'omer , where we count seven weeks of seven days—totaling 49—until we reach the 50th day, Shavuot. What does this have to do with Shabbat? To answer that, let's ask a general question: Why do we count Sefirat Ha'omer? The Standard Answer The common explanation is that we are counting from Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus) to Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) at Har Sinai. We are demonstrating our yearning for the Torah, which is the ultimate goal of the Exodus. We didn't just leave Egypt to be free; we left to go to Har Sinai. The Challenge of the Name The challenge with this answer is the name: Sefirat Ha'omer . If the goal is the Torah, it should be called Sefirat Matan Torah . The Sefer HaChinuch suggests that it truly is a count toward the Torah, and we only call it "Ha'omer" because the starting point happens to coincide with the second day of Pesach when the Omer offering was brought. To him, the barley offering is incidental. Today as well we can count the Sefirat on the Torah level. Other Opinions suggest the name is essential. They argue that today the count is Rabbinic today because we are specifically counting the bridge between the barley offering on Pesach and the wheat offering on Shavuot and since we no longer have those offerings it is rabbinical to remember what we did when we had a Bet HaMikdash. The Connection to Shmita and Yovel Why is the transition from barley to wheat so significant? The Chizkuni offers a beautiful insight: the goal of this counting is to replicate and commemorate the concepts of Shmita (the Sabbatical year) and Yovel (the Jubilee). Just as we have a seven-day weekly cycle, the Torah commands a seven-year cycle. Every seventh year is a Shmita year, where the farmer stops working and dedicates himself to godliness and spirituality. After seven sets of seven years, we reach the 50th year—the Yovel . How do we remember the lesson of Shmita during the six years when we are totally dedicated to our fields? By counting the Omer. From the beginning of the barley harvest to the wheat harvest—the time of the farmer's heaviest "heavy lifting"—we count seven sets of seven. The Message of the "Sevens" The message of the seven sets of seven is Emunah (faith). Shabbat: We work six days and rest on the seventh to remember that God created the world. Shmita: The farmer works six years and rests on the seventh, relying on Hashem for parnasa (livelihood). Whenever a Jew hears the number seven, they should think of the Shabbat. This is the "season of the sevens." During the busiest agricultural time of the year, the count reminds us: "Don't forget who is actually making this happen. Who is providing the blessing?" Two Counts, One Goal The count toward Matan Torah and the agricultural count are one and the same. Whether we are waiting for the Torah or working in the field, the message is: God gives us the ability to be successful. Therefore, we can take time off from work to dedicate ourselves to Him, because the ultimate goal of all our labor is to serve God. Overcoming the Curses Interestingly, on the Shabbat shortly before Shavuot, we read Parshat Bechukotai , which contains a list of admonitions. There are—you guessed it— seven sets of seven curses. We "undo" those curses by internalizing the lesson of the sevens: recognizing God's hand in our lives. We then move toward Shavuot and Parshat Naso , which contains Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing). We ask that the old year and its curses end, and the new year and its blessings begin. That is the story of the sevens.