Siman 489, Se'if 1 (3)

Shulchan Aruch, Siman 489, se'if 1 (continued)
"One must count while standing, and recite the berachah first; and one counts the days and the weeks. How so? On the first day one says: Today is one day ba'omer (la'omer)."
(Shulchan Aruch)

A close look at the wording of the Shulchan Aruch

Where this halachah sits: Having laid out several halachos about the sefirah at the beginning of the se'if, the Shulchan Aruch now turns to the form of the counting and the form of the berachah.
Wording that can mislead: The Shulchan Aruch writes, "One must count while standing, and recite the berachah first." He does not say that the berachah itself requires standing. Had he meant that the berachah too must be said standing, he would have written, "One must count and recite the berachah while standing." As his words stand, the emphasis on standing attaches to the counting.

Standing for the berachah: the words of the Mishnah Berurah

"One must count while standing: and one must be standing from the moment he begins the berachah."
(Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 6)

Expanding the Shulchan Aruch: The Mishnah Berurah either explains or extends the language of the Shulchan Aruch: it is not enough to stand for the counting; the berachah itself is said standing, from its very beginning.
After the fact: The Mishnah Berurah adds that b'dieved, even one who counted while sitting has fulfilled his obligation. Our discussion here is about the proper way to do it l'chatchilah.

The reasoning in the Sha'ar HaTziyun

The Mishnah Berurah's method: Above, the Mishnah Berurah himself does not spell out the reason for standing. In the Sha'ar HaTziyun, which is also the Mishnah Berurah's own writing, he brings mainly sources, together with brief comments, and this is a style of writing that the Mishnah Berurah strengthened.

"And so it is proven from the Tur and the Beis Yosef above in Siman 8."
(Sha'ar HaTziyun, os 7)

The principle derived from there: Siman 8 deals with the berachah on tzitzis, and from there it is proven that every birchas hamitzvos (a berachah recited over the performance of a mitzvah) should l'chatchilah be said standing.
How our berachah is classified: The berachah on sefiras ha'omer is "asher kideshanu b'mitzvosav v'tzivanu," that is, a birchas hamitzvos, and it is therefore included in this rule.

What is the function of a birchas hamitzvos?

Birchas hanehenin (a berachah over pleasure): A person does not eat before reciting a berachah, since "the earth and all it contains belongs to Hashem." The berachah is like taking permission to use what belongs to the Holy One, and only after it does "He gave the earth to mankind" apply.
Birchas hamitzvos: Here the very performance of the mitzvah is itself a good thing, so the question arises why a berachah is needed before it at all.
One explanation among the Rishonim: The berachah causes a person to stop and consider what he is about to do, and brings him into the atmosphere of the mitzvah. Some have said that this adds kavanah, so that the mitzvah is performed with greater intent and lishmah.
And from here, standing as well: Some have said that this itself is the reason to stand: the mitzvah is performed for the honor of the Holy One, and therefore even the berachah that precedes it is said standing.

The source for standing during the counting itself

"And particularly for the counting itself, all the Rishonim wrote that the Rabbis attached it to the verse 'from when the sickle begins on the standing grain (bakamah)': do not read it 'bakamah' but 'b'komah' (at his full height)."
(Mishnah Berurah)

The derashah on the verse: The verse "from when the sickle begins on the standing grain" is stated regarding the beginning of the counting of the seven weeks, and it was expounded as "b'komah," that the one counting should be standing at his full height while he counts.
An asmachta, not a full derashah: The Mishnah Berurah is precise in writing "the Rabbis attached it," because this derashah appears neither in the Bavli nor in the Yerushalmi, but in later midrashim, after the sealing of the Gemara. Nevertheless the Rishonim accepted it, and it serves as an allusion that the counting itself, and not only the berachah, is done standing.

Mitzvos that should be performed standing: the mnemonic of the early authorities

On the basis of this derashah the Rishonim broadened the matter and listed additional mitzvos that should properly be performed standing, though if one performed them sitting nothing is lost. The early authorities gave them a mnemonic in the letters of "Eitzas l'olam ta'amod":

Ayin: This one is difficult; some wanted to explain it as the mitzvah of eruv, but the matter is not clear.
Tzadi: Tzitzis, over which the berachah is recited standing.
Tav: Tekias shofar. Strictly speaking one may sit, but according to most poskim it is proper to stand, and the custom is to stand. (There are communities, and I believe this is the case among Teimanim, who sit.)
Lamed: Levanah, kiddush levanah, which is done standing.
Ayin: Omer, sefiras ha'omer.
Lamed: Lulav, over which the berachah is recited standing.
Mem: Milah. The mohel stands during the bris, even though the sandak is seated.

The derashah from "lachem" and the difficulty from tefillin

Why specifically these mitzvos: The early authorities did not offer a reason; rather, they expounded the word "lachem" ("for you") stated in connection with these mitzvos, and wherever "lachem" appears they derived this rule: "This month shall be for you the first of months" for kiddush hachodesh and birchas halevanah, "and you shall take for yourselves on the first day" for lulav, and so on.
The difficulty: Regarding tefillin too an expression of binding "for you" is stated, and yet putting on tefillin and reciting their berachah are, according to the usual order, done sitting.
Disagreement about the derashah itself: Some accepted these derashos and some rejected them. The Beis Yosef does not accept this derashah, since it is a late asmachta. Those who did expound it were relying on the word "lachem."

Is every birchas hamitzvos said standing?

The rule and its lack of clarity: Even the rule that all birchos hamitzvos are said standing is not simple. The berachah on tefillin is a birchas hamitzvos and is said sitting, which shows that the matter is not entirely clear, and it is a subject in its own right.
The view of most Acharonim: The mitzvah draws the berachah after it. If the mitzvah is performed standing, then the berachah before it is also said standing, because the mitzvah is the essential thing: one who did not recite the berachah has still fulfilled his obligation, while one who did not perform the mitzvah has not.
There are no iron-clad rules: For each mitzvah there are discussions as to whether it is done standing or not, and there are differing opinions. The halachah stated here is the rule in broad terms, and it is not absolutely clear-cut.
Obligation versus honor: There is an element of honor in standing, but the question under discussion is whether one is obligated in it. Regarding sefiras ha'omer the language of the Shulchan Aruch is "one must count while standing," that is, an obligation, and not merely a hiddur and a matter of honor.

The text of the counting: "ba'omer" or "la'omer"

"And according to most poskim the text is 'la'omer.' However, the essential point of this is only at the beginning, in order to make clear that he is counting from the day on which the omer was brought as an offering and onward."
(Mishnah Berurah, s.k. 8)

Who are "most poskim"? The Mishnah Berurah does not specify, and even in the Sha'ar HaTziyun he does not note his sources here. This is his way in many places: he does not bring the sources below for every point.
If he said only "today is such-and-such a number of days": According to the Mishnah Berurah he has fulfilled his obligation. The Acharonim explain that this depends on the berachah he said beforehand: once he has said "and commanded us regarding the counting of the omer" and immediately counts, it is obvious that he means the counting of the omer. But a person who says out of context "today is five days," there is no way of knowing what he is referring to.

The question of the Sefer HaChinuch: why do we count from the omer?

Shavuos has no date: Shavuos is the only Yom Tov in the Torah for which no date is fixed, and more than that: in the era when the months were sanctified by eyewitness testimony, it could fall on three different days.
The three possibilities: In the time of Chazal, Nissan could be short and Iyar full, and depending on the length of the months Shavuos could fall on the fifth, sixth or seventh of Sivan.
In our times: The calendar is fixed and the number of days in Nissan and in Iyar is known, and therefore Shavuos always falls on the sixth of Sivan.
The difficulty: The counting is meant to express anticipation of the giving of the Torah. If so, it would have been fitting to count toward Shavuos rather than from the omer. Compare it to a man counting the days until his release, who tears off a page each day and reduces the number; here, on the contrary, we add: today is two of the omer, three of the omer, at a time when the omer has already been brought and is behind us.
The language of the Mishnah Berurah: "In order to make clear that he is counting from the day on which the omer was brought and onward." On this very point the question arises: what relevance does the omer have now, when our gaze is directed toward receiving the Torah? This question is asked in the Sefer HaChinuch and among the Acharonim, and several answers are given; here we leave it open.

Lag Ba'omer

The accepted usage: Even though according to most poskim the text of the counting is "la'omer," on this day everyone says "Lag Ba'omer," whereas according to the Mishnah Berurah it should have been called "Lag La'omer." Some have said that "Lag La'omer" is awkward to pronounce, and some have found it written "Lag La'omer," but that is not the common usage.
The reason given by the Munkatcher Rebbe: By way of a sharp insight: "ba'omer" (spelled without a vav) has the gematria of "Moshe," and on Lag Ba'omer, the day of Rabbi Shimon, there is a spark of Moshe, as brought in Kabbalah. The wording "ba'omer" alludes to this gematria.
The distinction: When actually counting one says "la'omer," and when speaking of the day and its festive character one calls it "Lag Ba'omer."

"Today is one day" and not "the first day"

Against the Tzedukim: According to the view of the Tzedukim the counting always begins on a Sunday (yom rishon), and therefore we do not mention the word "rishon," so that there be no leaning toward their position.
The language of the Torah: The verse says "and it was evening and it was morning, one day (yom echad)," and from there comes the expression "yom echad."
The more precise explanation, from the standpoint of language: In Hebrew, numbers serve two functions.
- A cumulative number: When one says "today is the twenty-seventh of Tishrei," he means the total of days that have passed in the month.
- An ordinal number: First, second, third, which arrange things one after another. And one does not say "you are one, you are two," for that is not Hebrew usage.
- As applied here: The counting announces that from the day the omer was offered such-and-such a number of days have passed, that is, the total of the days and not their sequence. Therefore one says "today is one day," which is a cumulative number, and tomorrow two, and then three. The earlier explanations are attractive, but this appears to be the more precise one.

In passing · Standing for kiddush and havdalah

1. The status of "Vayechulu"

It is not part of the essence of kiddush: Kiddush itself consists of two berachos, the berachah over the wine and the berachah of the day. Reciting the verses of "Vayechulu" is a later custom, brought in the Rambam and in the Geonim, and it is not the essence of the matter. One who made kiddush without "Vayechulu" has fulfilled his obligation.
The reason for reciting the verses: Just as a berachah brings a person into the atmosphere of the mitzvah, so here we do not want him to open immediately with "borei pri hagafen" as on a weekday, appearing as one hurrying to drink; rather he should enter into the atmosphere of Shabbos. Some have said that reciting the verses is part of this.
The reason for standing: Some have the practice to stand for "Vayechulu" because it constitutes testimony, and testimony is given standing. Afterward, some of those making kiddush sit down and some remain standing.
The reason for sitting: The one making kiddush is fulfilling the obligation on behalf of those at the table, and everyone must have kavanah; a person concentrates better seated than standing, and therefore they sit down.

2. Differing customs and questions of comparison

There is no uniform ruling: Some stand and some sit; each side has its explanation, and each explanation has those who dispute it. In this connection it is told of Rav Friman, one of the dayanim of the rabbinical court in Yerushalayim, that he was seen standing for kiddush, and when asked the reason he answered that he did not know, but this is what he saw in his father's home.
Yom Tov: On Yom Tov we begin immediately with "borei pri hagafen," and seemingly there too there would have been room to precede it with verses in order to enter the atmosphere. The explanation: Shabbos comes every week and has an element of routine about it, whereas Yom Tov is not frequent, which is why we say "shehecheyanu" on it and not on Shabbos; a person's soul is naturally drawn to what is not frequent. Something similar applies to matzah, which is not eaten before Pesach, and no verses are recited before eating it.
Kiddush of the morning, and havdalah: Some begin in the morning immediately with the berachah, since he is already within Shabbos and does not need to enter it, while others have the custom to say "V'shamru." And the very same discussion applies to havdalah. All of these are customs, and are not part of the essence of the matter.