Out of Egypt: Counting the Omer

Well Pesach has come to a close, and we are counting down the days of the omer to Shavuot (tonight we will count 9 days, which is 1 week and 2 days of the omer). By now we are out of Egypt, and the taste of freedom is sweet but we are not at all away from danger. Sometimes after leaving behind what we have always wished we could break free from we begin to doubt if it was truly the right thing to do or not. We become apathetic, our resolve begins to weaken, and doubt begins to attack.

After leaving Egypt our ancestors chided and complained saying specifically that it would have been better to serve(or die) under the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt than to die in the wilderness. 

1st when they faced the Red Sea (Shemot 14:11, 12)
2nd when they were hungry in the wilderness (Shemot 16:2, 3)
3rd when they had no water to drink while camped in Rephidim (Shemot 17:1-7)

The pattern of doubt is set by the 3rd time. They have lost hope and doubt HaShem's provision. It is after this this 3rd act of doubt Amalek attacks us.

We are commanded in Devarim 25:17-19 to never forget, to remember to blot out his name so we won't forget!

"Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;  

How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. 

Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

The attack of Amalek did not come upon us right away, it did not come when we were singing praise to HaShem on the other side of the sea, it came after we had lost our hope and given ourselves up to our irrational doubt. So in guarding ourselves from the attack of Amalek we must guard against those small choices that lead to the ultimate place of doubt (is G-d among us?). It came after 3 times saying "it would be better if we had never left Mitzrayim".

Let this counting of the omer be a time and opportunity to constantly remind us to acknowledge and praise the Holy One for not only bring us out of Mitzrayim(the "narrow place or straits") but for His constant day to day provision as He leads us through the wilderness. If this is the place of our heart, when faced with His Torah we will not refuse it, but embrace it whole-heartedly because He is a nourishing and sustaining G-d.

Blessing for the Counting of the Omer

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.