Laws and Customs About 3,300 years ago, the Israelites left
Egypt. From the day they left Ramses for Succot, until they
arrived at Mount Hore b (Sinai) and stood at the bottom of the
mountain to receive the Torah, they counted forty-nine days
('seven complete weeks'). Israel in Egypt was steeped in forty-
nine degrees of (spiritual) contamination, and G-d in his
kindness removed one degree from them each day until they were
completely cleansed at the Giving of the Torah. An additional
significance was attributed to the time of counting the Omer
with the death of Rabbi Akiva's twelve thousand pairs of
students, over whom we observe certain customs of mourning.
There has never been a great sight to match that one day, which
is why we remember it one day every year. (Maimonides, 'Guide
for the Perplexed') The date when the Torah was given is not
specified in the Torah. On the first (rosh hodesh) of Sivan,
Israel arrived at Mount Sinai: On the third month of Israel's
exodus from Egypt, on that day they arrived at