Moving From Our Personal Sphere to Public Involvement

When the Torah introduces the counting of the Omer it states in Parshas Emor 23:15: “U’sefartem lachem mimacharat ha’Shabbat.”

Contrary to the interpretation of the heretics who claimed that the word "Shabbat" in that pasuk actually means Shabbat, our rabbis explained that the word “Shabbat” in this pasuk refers to Pesach – that is, we should start counting the Omer from the second day of Pesach.

The question is why does the Torah refer to Pesach as Shabbat? Why not just be direct and state that we should start counting from the second day of Pesach? That would have provided the clarity, and avoided this particular controversy with the heretics.

Perhaps the Torah intended to teach us something about the process represented by the counting of the Omer.