Counting the Omer
Question
I know I counted the Omer in my dream last night but I forgot to count verbally. May I continue to count with a blessing?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question. As a general rule, one who did not verbally count the Omer in an entire 24-hr period has lost the ability to recite the blessing when counting the Omer on successive nights.
That being said, your question is dealt with by Rabbi Chaim Palagi in his Lev Chaim 3:126.
It once happened in Izmir, Turkey, that someone fell asleep one night before counting the Omer. While he was sleeping, he realized in his dreams that he had forgotten to count the Omer that night and, therefore, did so in his dream! The next morning the man forgot about his dream and his missed count the previous evening. Only when praying Ma’ariv that night did the man realize all that had transpired and that he missed a full 24 hours in his Omer count yet he remembered that he “counted” in his dream.
The question was whether this person is permitted to continue to count with the blessing based on his count in his dreams.
Rabbi Palagi ruled that this individual was not permitted to recite the blessing when counting the Omer on successive nights, as the count in his dream was halachically invalid. He said it was comparable to the ruling that one who hears the Purim Megilla while asleep does not fulfill the mitzva, and the same would be true with a Sefira count while sleeping.
Hence, the fellow was unable to continue counting with a blessing.