“Today is Lag B’Omer”

If someone mistakenly says, “Today is Lag B’Omer” before counting the 33rd day of sefira, are they still allowed to count with a bracha?

The Shaarei Teshuva (489:6) quotes differing opinions whether one can fulfill the mitzvah by counting with acronyms. Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l is quoted as maintaining in this situation that one should count again, but hear the bracha from someone else (Ashrei Haish Moadim, p. 426). If there is no one else available to recite the bracha, the Mishna Berura (489:22) allows one to say the bracha in this situation since the person did not count the number of weeks.

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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.