Why Jews Count Up, Not Down

"Wow! You are getting so big!" I said to my three-year-old daughter. She is being toilet trained and woke up completely dry for the third night in a row.

With a completely serious face, she responded, "So, I can drive now?"

I laughed out loud and got such nachas from her unstoppable aspirations.

When reaching a milestone, it's easy to become complacent, basking in the glory of your achievement. The satisfaction of accomplishing something significant can make it hard to keep moving forward. You might feel you’ve earned a respite or that your current level is good enough.

While it’s important to appreciate milestones and be proud of our accomplishments, true growth requires continually striving for more, not settling for the status quo.

The time period between Passover and Shavuot reinforces this lesson. Jews count the 49 days from Passover, a time of physical freedom, to Shavuot, which represents spiritual freedom achieved through receiving the Torah.

This period of time is called the Counting of the Omer, in Hebrew Sefirat HaOmer, named after an offering brought on the second day of Passover. It’s an odd name. Shouldn’t it be called “Counting Towards Receiving the Torah”? It doesn’t even mention the point of the count and instead mentions something that seems completely irrelevant.

The Omer offering was made of barley—considered animal fodder in biblical times. By the end of the process, an offering made of wheat is brought to the Temple, symbolizing the growth from a state of base existence like an animal to one of higher spiritual readiness, like a human being.

Judaism is emphasizing the power of change. You have immense potential, and right now, you are just beginning your journey. Compared to where you can ultimately go, you're still far from achieving your true greatness. That is why the emphasis is on the Omer, the barley, the animal food.

A Strange Counting

The counting begins with day one, moving up every subsequent until day 49. Why don’t we count down, like it’s done at Times Square on New Year’s Eve – ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Who counts up to ten? Eight, nine, ten. Happy New Year!

We count down, not up.

When you count down to something—whether it’s a vacation, a promotion, or a wedding—you’re eager to reach the end, often overlooking the journey itself. You want the intervening days to disappear and reach your destination. In contrast, counting up encourages you to appreciate each day’s progress, to make each day count, focusing on the process rather than just the outcome.

During the Counting of the Omer, each day is built upon the previous one, like constructing a building floor by floor. By the end of the Omer, if you maximized this time period for personal growth, you are prepared to receive the Torah with a deeper understanding and greater readiness. You are ready to live as a full human being, represented through eating wheat, not barley.

Passover, the physical liberation from Egypt, was not the culmination but the beginning of a greater spiritual journey. Each day during the counting of the Omer symbolizes a step in your spiritual journey, encouraging you to keep ascending.

Whether it’s toilet training or a more profound life goal, milestones are not endpoints but stepping stones. The real journey begins after the initial success. Growth and improvement are ongoing processes, with every milestone propelling you to strive for the next level of achievement.

Keep moving forward, strive for more, by making each day count, transforming your achievements into ongoing steps towards greater heights.