The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 306) explains the basic hashakafic message of the mitzvah of Sefiras Ha’Omer. During Sefiras HaOmer we count from Pesach to Shavuos. This shows the connection between Pesach/Yetzias Mitzrayim and Shavuos/Matan Torah. This teaches us that the entire purpose of leaving Mitzrayim was in order to receive the Torah on Har Sinai, on Shavuos. The ikar, the essence of Am Yisroel is based on the Torah. The entire purpose of leaving Mitzrayim was in order to receive the Torah on Har Sinai. When one counts from Pesach to Shavuos, he is showing the connection between Pesach and Shavuos.

The Chinuch writes that we find this idea in the Chumash itself. When Hashem is talking to Moshe at Har Sinai (Shmos perek 3), Hashem says, “When the Jews leave Mitzrayim they will serve Me on this mountain.” From the very beginning this was the direct goal of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Pesach is the beginning of a process which culminates on Shavuos. Pesach reflects the physical beginning, leading up to Shavuos which is the spiritual goal.

Rav Hirsch develops this theme as well[i]. After the Jews left Mitzrayim, one would expect that the emotion they would feel is relief, they have finally finished. And what happens? The very next day what number is Am Yisroel counting? Number one. This reflects that Yetzias Mitzrayim is only a beginning, it is not an end.

On Pesach the korbon offered is a korbon of barley. On Shavuos the korban brought it wheat. Chazal tell us that barley represents animal food, and wheat represents human food. When the Jews left Mitzrayim, they were physically free. But, they lacked the ruchniyos direction in their lives. Therefore, on one level, they were only free like animals- without the proper, spiritual guidance. Only when we received the Torah on Shavuos did we become fully free, as humans. Both the guf and the neshama were free because only know did we know how to use our physical freedom to serve Hashem spiritually. Therefore, the korbon on Shavuos is from wheat.

When the Jews left Mitzrayim and became free, they became free in order to serve Hashem. Physical, political independence is only the first step towards the goal of leading a moral, religious life in service of Hashem.

There is a striking line in the Ramban (Vayikra 23, 36). The Ramban says that the days of Sefiras HaOmer can be compared to chol hamoed between Pesach and Shavuos. Clearly, chol hamoed connects the beginning of yom tov to the end of yom tov. So too, the “chol hamoed of Sefiras HaOmer” connects Pesach to Shavuos.

It is interesting that the Torah refers to two yomim tovim as 'atzeres'- the seventh day of Pesach and Shmini Atzeres. Rav Hirsch, and others, explain that 'atzeres' refers to the end of a span of time. At the end of this time period we are supposed to stop, hold on, and retain our position. Therefore, both the end of the seven days of Pesach and the end of the eight days of Succos are called 'atzeres'. Chazal refer to Shavuos as 'atzeres'. This fits beautifully with the idea being developed here. Shavuos is, in a sense, the 'atzeres' of the time period of Pesach/Sefiras HaOmer/Shavuos. The physical geulah of Pesach leading into the counting of Sefiras HaOmer, culminating with the spiritual goal, the spiritual geulah of Shavuos. The direct goal of Yetzias Mitzrayim was Matan Torah on Shavuos. Hashem freed us from the slavery of the Mitzrim in order to be free to serve Hashem Himself. This is one major theme of Sefiras HaOmer.

The Chinuch raises an interesting question. Since one of the ideas of Sefiras HaOmer is that we are counting towards Shavuos, then why do we not count downwards from forty-nine down to one? When one is looking forward to something he counts downwards, anticipating when he will come to the lowest number, until the end. I once heard from Rav Aharon Soloveitchik z”tl that based on this approach one can offer the following answer to the Chinuch's question. The reason why we count upwards, during Sefiras HaOmer, is because we are counting levels from one up to forty-nine. At Pesach we begin the process of working towards the spiritual goal of Shavuos; and each day is a new level, one up to forty-nine, culminating in the goal of Matan Torah on Shavuos. And that is why we count upwards as opposed to downwards.[ii]         During the Sefiras HaOmer period we should be thinking about and working on preparing ourselves for Matan Torah, building ourselves level by level- from the beginning of Pesach to the goal of Shavuos.

[i] Vayikra perek 23.

[ii] Rav Ahron based this approach on the comments of the Ran at the end of Pesachim.