Writing the Day of Sefira

If someone wrote the day of the sefira, did he fulfill the mitzvah to the extent that he would no longer repeat the sefira with a bracha?

The Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 489:9) assumes that one cannot fulfill the mitzvah through writing. However, R’ Akiva Eiger (Teshuvos 1:29-32) and Chasam Sofer (Teshuvos 6:19) consider the possibility that “Kisiva Kidibur”, writing has the same Halachic status as speaking, and therefore after writing the sefira, a bracha may no longer be recited on a secondary counting. Rav Soloveitchik, zt”l suggested, that perhaps, even if in other areas of Halacha writing is not equivalent to speaking, sefiras haomer is unique and the mitzvah may be fulfilled with writing. This is because sefira does not require verbalization. Rather, the person must list the correct date in some manner and writing would be sufficient to do so even without articulation (Harerei Kedem, 2:110).

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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.