Sefira - Late Maariv

QUESTION: I always daven ma’ariv at the 10 o’clock minyan. Am I permitted to wash and eat a meal when I get home from work at 9 o’clock (after tzeis hakochavim) or should I count sefira first?

ANSWER: Igros Moshe (OC IV:99) writes that the proper time to count sefira is after ma’ariv. One should not count sefira before ma’ariv, because of the rule “tadir kodem” (the mitzvah that is more frequent should be done first). Since ma’ariv is recited every night of the year, and sefira is only recited between Pesach and Shavuos, one should daven ma’ariv before counting sefira. An individual who relies on the fact that he always davens at a set minyan so as to eat before ma’ariv, may rely on this as well regarding sefiras HaOmer. Rav Moshe argues that in this case, since he has a set minyan where he always davens, it is better for him to eat his meal and recite sefira after ma’ariv than to recite sefira before the meal, which would be out of order. Nonetheless, if one is afraid that they might forget to count sefira if they wait until after ma’ariv, they may count before ma’ariv as well (Sefer Sefiras HaOmer 3:7).

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.