Jewish Holidays

A question arises regarding the issue of shaving during the omer period. May one who shaves regularly throughout the year do so during this period?

The Rishonim write that one should not get a haircut during the omer period. Only regular haircuts, which include an element of joy, are prohibited.

Now that we have discussed the duration of the mourning period, we will outline the laws of the various customs in detail

The prevalent custom among Ashkenazim in Israel today amalgamates several traditions. Most customs of mourning last until Lag Ba-omer, while some continue afterward.

According to Shulĥan Arukh , the customs of mourning begin on the first day of the omer and last until the morning of the 34th.

The days between Pesaĥ and Shavu’ot are days of sorrow, because 24,000 of R. Akiva’s students died during that period. Therefore, we keep some customs of mourning during this period.

If, at a time when it is permissible to count, one’s friend asks him, “What is today’s omer count?” one should not answer, “Today is day such-and-such of the omer,” unless he has already counted with a berakha.

women are exempt from the mitzva of sefirat ha-omer, as it is dependent on time. However, a woman who wants to perform this mitzva may do so.

One who is uncertain whether he neglected to count one day may continue counting with a berakha, because we only defer to the opinion that one cannot continue counting with a berakha when one is certain that he missed a day.