Tur on Sefirat HaOmer

In 2006, I presented the entirety of Rif on sefirat HaOmer. Here I present Tur on Sefirat HaOmer. Of course, don't pasken for yourself on the basis of this. Consult your local Orthodox rabbi.

Tur on Sefirat HaOmer
Read it inside, with commentaries, over at HebrewBooks.org, in Tur Orach Chaim siman 489.

Evening, after the Prayer {=Amidah}, they begin to count the Omer, for its time is from the beginning of the night of the 15th of Nissan continuing for 49 days, and the time of the counting is from the beginning of the night. And even if it is not actually night but rather a doubt of darkfall, they are able to count. If he forgot to count in the beginning of the night, he can continue to count all night. And it is a commandment upon each and every individual to count for himself. And he needs to count while standing, and to bless first.

And he counts the days and the weeks. How so? On the first day, he stands and blesses "al sefirat haomer"; "Today is one day" until he reaches seven days, and then he says "today is seven days, which are one week." And on the eighth day he says "today is eight days, which are one week and one day," until he reaches the fourteenth, at which he says "today is fourteen days, which are two weeks," and so on forever.

And the Avi haEzri wrote that some say that he does not need to count the days except until he reaches a week. Such as "today is one day" until he reaches seven days, and then he should say "today is seven days, which are one week." But from there and on he does not need to count the days of the past week together with the coming week. Rather, on the eighth day he should say "today is one week and one day," and he does not need to say "today is eight days," for he already counted them in the past week. And so too on the ninth day until he reaches the fourteenth, at which point he should say "today is the fourteenth day, which are two weeks." And on the fifteenth day, he should say "today is two weeks and one day" and so on forever {until 7 weeks}.

And some say that one should not mentioned the weeks except at the end of the week. Such as, on the seventh day he should say "today is seven days, which are one week," and on the eighth day he only says "today is eight days" {but no mention of weeks} until he reaches the fourteenth, and so on forever.

And as I have written {initially, before the Avi haEzri}, so is the common practice, and so is the ikkar.

And the Avi haEzri wrote further that where he began and said "Baruch ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam" with the intent to say "today is the fourth," for he thought that they were four, and then he remembers and completes with "five," and indeed they are five {days}, do we go after the beginning {namely the blessing}, and since he began with intent to say "four" he did not fulfill, or perhaps we go after the completion, and in accordance with the law he completed, such that he fulfilled.

Alternatively, the reverse case: If they are four and he began with intent to say four, and erred and completed with five, do we go after the beginning, such that he fulfilled, or after the completion, such that he did not fulfill.

And it is logical that in both of them he did not fulfill, for we require a certain beginning and completion.

If he does not know the calculation and began with intent to complete just as his fellow, and he is silent until he hears from his fellow, and completes just like him, he fulfills, for there are both beginning and completion. End quote.

The Baal Halachot Gedolot wrote that if he forgot to bless {and count?} all the night, that he should count in the day. And this does not appear true to the Ri. And my father, my master the Rosh za"l wrote that he should count in the day without a blessing.

The Behag {=Baal Halachot Gedolot} wrote further that if he forgot to bless on one of the days, that he should not bless further on the days following it. And Rav Saadia wrote that if he forgot in one of the days, he should bless in the days after it; with the exception of the first night, that if he forgot and did not bless on it, he should not bless further. And Rav Hai wrote that whether the first night, or whether the other nights, if he forgot {J: emend lamed to kaf} and did not bless on it, he blesses on the other nights. And so did the Ri write.

It is forbidden to each Chadash, even in the present day, until the beginning of the night of the 18th of nissan; it does not matter whether it is bread, toasted grain, or unripe grain.