When it comes to the Omer, Parshat Emor states that we should count 50 days (see Vayikra 23:16).
In contrast, later on in the Torah we are told to count seven weeks (see Devarim 16:9).
As Abaye explains (in Chagigah 17b), from here we learn that ‘there is a commandment to count days, and there is a commandment to count weeks’ – from which we learn that counting days is different from counting weeks, and that when it comes to Sefirat HaOmer we need to count both.
But how should we relate differently to the counting of the days and the weeks of the Omer?
Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzikov (1819-1877) explains in his ‘Imrei Noam’ commentary that the concept of ‘day’ refers to intellectual clarity (because the day is bright and clear), while ‘week’ refers to our values which give us a life of meaning and our character traits which thereby express our values. Put simply, day refers to מוח (mind), while week refers to מידות (character traits).
Understood this way, the process of counting both the days and the weeks of the Omer teaches us about the importance of both nurturing our thoughts and perfecting our values and character traits to be worthy to receive the Torah which we receive on Shavuot.
Shabbat Shalom!