The obligation of counting the Omer can be accomplished in any language. Therefore, one should be careful not to say what day in the Omer it is until after he has officially counted. What is the halacha if one mistakenly said the day before making a brocha? It depends. Within the first week, when all we are counting is the day that we are holding by, just by saying “today is the third day” is accomplishing the mitzvah. Therefore, that night the brocha should be omitted. After the first week, when we also count what week we are in, just counting days is not enough, and the brocha may still be recited. The brocha may also be recited if one had specifically in mind not to fulfill the mitzvah when saying which day in the Omer it is. See Kaf HaChaim 493:53 who says that even after the first week one should not say which day it is until officially counting. Likewise, one should not say “tonight is lag b’omer” until after counting.

Rabbi Tzvi Aryeh Hyman, Mir Yeshiva
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