6th week of the Omer

The evening of May 25th,
began the sixth week of the Counting of the Omer.
This is the week of
Yesod.
Yesod is usually translated as fundament,
the fundamentals.
It is the center and centering place
(purple sphere in the above illustration)
in our Tree of Life.

Sunday evening
Day 1) Hesed of Yesod:
In our deepest center, there are still times when circumstances will lead us to the right or left. Sometimes, while staying balanced we are pulled gently to the side of mercy.

Monday evening
Day 2) Gevurah of Yesod:
Other times the pull is not so gentle as we feel the need to exert our inner power over outer circumstances

Tuesday evening
Day 3) Tif'eret of Yesod:
Just as with walking, though we are pulled in one direction or another, there is a moment when the balance is complete, upper and lower, beauty and foundation, all are in harmony and balance.

Wednesday evening
Day 4) Netzah of Yesod:
There are moments that call out for action. If we are balanced, prepared, centered, our action is true and victory is assured.

Thursday evening
Day 5) Hod of Yesod:
And there are moments for quiet, for the being rather than the doing. Here too, when in harmony with our inner world, when in balance with our outer world, there are moments of meditation that are fulfilling, filled with humble mindfulness.

Friday evening
Day 6) Yesod of Yesod:
Centering and centering and centering. We sink into our fundament, we return to fundamentals. Our roots take hold in our ancient sacred past and insight stretchs into the future. Deep into the earth and high into the heavens our Tree of Life grows in both directions touching heaven to earth.

Saturday evening
Day 7) Malchut of Yesod:
All is like a dream until the moment of action. Our branches weave back and forth in the breeze of life between doing and being, between compassion and judgement until the moment for movement. Then in centeredness we leap whole-heartedly into the arena of action.

7th week of the Counting of the Omer

The evening of June 1st, began the seventh and final week of the Counting of the Omer. This is the week of Malchut. Malchut is usually translated as Kingdom or realm. This is the jumping off point for life in the realm of Assiyah, action. Sunday evening Day 1) Hesed of Malchut: As we prepare to leave the time of Omer counting, we invoke the compassion that we have practiced in our hearts and bring it forth into the reality of our daily lives. Monday evening Day 2) Gevurah of Malchut: So many temptations face us in our daily lives. There are so many excuses. But for every missed opportunity there are far reaching consequences. Gevurah demands that we take control of our own lives, grabbing with gusto every opportunity for growth. Tuesday evening Day 3) Tif'eret of Malchut: In the realm of Assiyah/Action we need to walk in gentle balance between compassion for all earthlings and the discipline to live according to a code of right and wrong. Balance is the key to living mindfully and fully. Wednesday evening Day 4) Netzah of Malchut: Victory in this world comes with effort and inspiration. Netzah is the Sefirah of effort in the realm or reality. Thursday evening Day 5) Hod of Malchut: And the other side of the coin is inspiration. Hod inspiration, the moments of quiet insight is the blessing not of inaction but of mindfulness. Friday evening Day 6) Yesod of Malchut: Again we seek the balance between doing and being. There are times in this realm when we are called to deeds. There are other times when we feel the inner call, the call to discernment. Saturday evening Day 7) Malchut of Malchut: The moment before we enter into the realm, reality is upon us. We have walked for 48 days in the wilderness. Now there is nothing left to prepare. Now we stand on Sinai, ready to be offered Torah. And if we have done our internal homework, we are ready to recieve Torah as well.

5th week of the Omer

The evening of May 18th, began the fifth week of the Counting of the Omer. This is the week of Hod. Hod is usually translated as Humility and Splendor. Hod is the being of life. It is those moments when we stop the doing and begin the being. Sunday evening Day 1) Hesed of Hod: The day of the humility of compassion. In silence we sit and feel the awe of all that has come to pass, all that is passing and all that will come to pass. Monday evening Day 2) Gevurah of Hod: It is not easy to sit. It is not an easy task to refrain from 'tasking' ourselves. It takes discipline and inner power to sit mindfully in utter awareness of the awe that flows. Tuesday evening Day 3) Tif'eret of Hod: There is a gentle beauty to sitting mindfully. We stop the doing and focus on the being-awareness that all life is fleeting and yet never-ending. Wednesday evening Day 4) Netzah of Hod: Even in our time of being there is a sense of the doing. We sit within and without delving into our soul with the challenge to bring into the world that which is hidden deep within our souls. Thursday evening Day 5) Hod of Hod: Gentle breeze flowing through the grass, birds on the wing, the sweet smell of the wildflowers as we drift between wakefulness and sleep. Our minds totally at peace, our soul gently swaying in the breeze. Friday evening Day 6) Yesod of Hod: Yes, we lie in the soft bed of grass dozing and 'dazing.' And yet, deep within, hiding at the edge of consciousness, there is the awareness that even as we lie in that lazy hazy daze of glory, we are on the crust of a spinning globe hurtling through the universe, the soul of G. Saturday evening Day 7) Malchut of Hod: Gently we rise and enter the world carrying our delicate sense of being, the splender that is all life. We pray that the dust and grime of the realm of this reality will not hide from our hearts this moment of mystery.

4th week of the Omer

The evening of May 11th,
began the fourth week of the Counting of the Omer.
This is the week of Netzach.
Netzach is usually translated as 'Victory'.
Netzah is about activating our victory
over the surface self.

Sunday evening
Day 1) Hesed of Netzach:
With compassion we look within, becoming aware of the need to battle the shallow and callow in our lives.

Monday evening
Day 2) Gevurah of Netzach:
This becomes our day of discipline.
We map our strategy for victory over the baser instincts, as we plan our battle to elevate our soul.

Tuesday evening
Day 3) Tif'eret of Netzach:
Balance is the key to victory.
We must balance our unconditional love with our inner power to face the hard challenges of enlightened evolution of the soul.

Wednesday evening
Day 4) Netzah of Netzach:
We gird our loins for the battle ahead.
Gathering courage and strength to look deep within, we remember the Samurai dictum:
"Even after the battle, tighten your armor!"

Thursday evening
Day 5) Hod of Netzach:
Visualize the victory.
We see with our soul's eyes, that which we wish to accomplish. We take a moment to bask in the glory of our goal.

Friday evening
Day 6) Yesod of Netzach:
Seeing the goal, we prepare for the victory that comes with awe and awareness.

Saturday evening
Day 7) Malchut of Netzach:
CHARGE!!!
No more planning, no more waiting.
"Doing it makes it happen!"

3rd week of the Omer

The evening of May 4th, began the third week of the Counting of the Omer. This is the week of Tiferet. Tiferet means beauty and it is the balance point between Gevurah/judgment and Hesed/mercy Sunday evening Day 1) Hesed of Tiferet: Tiferet is all about the balance of Love and Discipline, compassion and power. On this day we embrace that balance but lean just a little to the side of mercy. Monday evening Day 2) Gevurah of Tiferet: Just as we must become off-balance in order to walk, leaning on one foot and then the other, coming to balance when both feet are on the ground, so we must move from Hesed to Gevurah on our daily spirit walk. But always we seek the beautiful balance of Tiferet. Tuesday evening Day 3) Tif'eret of Tiferet: If we stand still with our legs shoulder width apart and bend our knees slightly, we are balanced. And yet, no matter how we stand we are still a wobbly biped. Spiritually too, we are not completely balanced when we stand alone. But when we lean on G on our spirit council, we become a sturdy tripod. Then we are in Tiferet of Tiferet. Wednesday evening Day 4) Netzah of Tiferet: Netzah calls us to act on our Tiferet. Beautiful action, that is balanced is the call of this day. How will I reach out in beauty to the people around us and the planet on which we travel. Thursday evening Day 5) Hod of Tiferet: Everyone needs a Shabbos. If Netzah is the doing, then Hod is the being. In our lives as we seek the beauty of balance, the balanced beauty of life, we need time to reflect on that beauty and on that balance. Friday evening Day 6) Yesod of Tiferet: Centering is part of balance. Yesod calls us to let it sink in, to find the Ki/chi/prajna center of our body/spirit experience. In Tiferet we find the beauty of power in potentia. Saturday evening Day 7) Malchut of Tiferet: And when we have walked in beauty between judgment and mercy, action and reflection, when we have centered ourselves, it becomes time to enter the world in beauty and help return our planet to balance.

With many blessings towards achieving our personal balance, B'Ohr, Reb Bahir Rocky Mountain" Hai"

2nd week of the Omer

April 28th, begins the second week of the Counting of the Omer.

This is the week of Gevurah.

Today we carry on the counting of the Omer into the mystical mystery of Kabbalah. We count the Omer by dwelling on the Branches, called Sefirot, on the Tree of Life

Gevurah is about the discipline of power and the power of discipline. A world filled with unconditional love cannot stand. It needs a little Gevurah to balance life and enhance the flow. This week we allow Gevurah to help us look into ourselves, illuminating the different corners that so often get overlooked in our workaday struggles.

Day 1) Hesed of Gevurah:
The unconditional love hidden within the disciplined path of power.

Day 2) Gevurah of Gevurah:
Finding the strength to live a powerful life filling each moment with meaning.

Day 3) Tif'eret of Gevurah:
Discovering the balance that leans on inner power mitigating judgment with compassion.

Day 4) Netzah of Gevurah:
We strive to find the courage to act on our personal power.

Day 5) Hod of Gevurah:
Exploring in quiet solitude the power and the process and the path that lies ahead.

Day 6) Yesod of Gevurah:
Settling our power deep within us. Letting go of the ego trappings of authority and discovering our true power and the power of truth.

Day 7) Malchut of Gevurah:
Gathering our gleanings of power and carrying them out into a world sometimes too short sighted to see and too deaf to the needs of humanity an our planet. We go forth to life, using our power not as stumbling blocks to the blind but as building blocks to blessing.

The Kabbalah of Counting: The Mystical Meaning of the Counting of the Omer

The Counting of the Omer originated in a deep, loving relationship to the earth.

For us, it has become process of re-creation, re-birth and re-newal of a sacred bond that grounds our hearts to the earth and lifts our souls to the heavens.

The 49 day period is counted in days and weeks.

The 7 days of each of the 7 weeks constitutes the 49 days.

Each week is represented by a specific sacred attribute, called Sefirah from the mystical Tree of Life.

Each day within that week is represented by an aspect of that attribute. We count the lower 7 Sefirot for the seven weeks. For each day, one Sefirah is counted within the Sefirah of the Week.

The famous Kabbalist, the RaMaK, Reb Moshe Kordevero (ca. 18^th cent) wrote a powerful work entitled PaRDeS. In it he explains the word Sefirah. He expounds that the word is related to the 3 mystical aspects of creation. MiSPaR, number, SiPuR, the story and Sapir the sapphire, the translucent crystal of illumination that is discussed in many works of Kabbalah.

Each week, for the next 7 weeks I shall share with you the spiritual attribute, the Sefirah for the week, and the daily Sefirah SheBSefirah, the aspect within the attribute, according to Kabbalah. You might try an exercise, using these as meditation points in which you stand back and take an objective look at your subjective emotions (no small task in and of itself).

Seeing their strong an weak points will, in turn, enable you to apply yourself to the development and perfection of these feelings as you grow towards emotional and spiritual maturity.

The evening of April 21 after the second Seder, begins the counting of the Omer. Today we carry the Omer into the mystical mystery of Kabbalah. We count the Omer by dwelling on the Branches, the Sefirot, of the Tree of Life

The first week is Hesed. Hesed is unconditional love. It is compassion without bounds. It is the offering of love without the thought of recompense.

Day 1) Hesed SheBHesed:
Unconditional love offered freely even to those for whom we find difficulty offering love.

Day 2) Gevurah SheBHesed:
Tough love, that teaches boundaries and consequences but measured with compassion and caring.

Day 3) Tiferet SheBHesed:
Balanced compassion offered without judgment but with honesty and the frailness of fairness.

Day 4) Netzah SheBHesed:
Acts of loving-kindness is compassion in motion. True victory comes into the world through love activated in action.

Day 5) Hod SheBHesed:
The love that sleeps quietly purring in my heart. It is the quiet cuddling, the comfortable silence of deep felt love.

Day 6) Yesod SheBHesed:
Soulful love that goes even deeper than the heart. Love that is core to our inner existence and our outer manifestation. It is the love that connects heaven and earth.

Day 7) Malchut SheBHesed:
Love given to the world around us is Malchut SheBHesed. Love that is felt must be fostered. For our planet to survive we must walk the path of love. For humanity to thrive we must live our love.