Passover centers around matzah (unleavened) bread ( Exodus 13:6-7), and fifty days later, Shavuot includes an offering of two chametz (leavened) loaves-the only holiday when chametz is brought on the altar all year (see Leviticus 2:4-6, 11). We can see the connection between Passover and Shavuot as we reflect on how the holidays are celebrated. Additionally, the Torah prohibited using or eating any of the barley and wheat crops until the offering of the Omer, the first of the new grain, was brought up to the Lord.īeyond its agricultural significance, the Omer marks the fifty days between the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. This practice can be compared to a modern-day employee or business cheerfully giving to the needs of the community so that “the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (1 Corinthians 6:10, see also vv. This Torah precept battled against the agricultural customs of the Canaanite nations that related the growth of grain to various local gods (see Hosea 2) to assure that the Children of Israel would thank the proper God and not fall into the traps of idolatry. During this festival, the Torah commands the Israelites to bring the first sheaf, or “ Omer” in Hebrew, of the harvest to the Temple before consuming the new barley and wheat crops. For humanity to thrive we must live our love.The Torah roots this festival in the thanksgiving offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest ( Leviticus 23:9-10 Deuteronomy 16:9-12). For our planet to survive we must walk the path of love. Love given to the world around us is Malchut SheBHesed. It is the love that connects heaven and earth. Love that is core to our inner existence and our outer manifestation. Soulful love that goes even deeper than the heart. It is the quiet cuddling, the comfortable silence of deep felt love. The love that sleeps quietly purring in my heart. True victory comes into the world through love activated in action. Tough love, that teaches boundaries and consequences but measured with compassion and caring.īalanced compassion offered without judgment but with honesty and the frailness of fairness.Īcts of loving-kindness is compassion in motion. Unconditional love offered freely even to those for whom we find difficulty offering love. It is the offering of love without the thought of recompense. We count the Omer by dwelling on the Branches, the Sefirot, of the Tree of Life Today we carry the Omer into the mystical mystery of Kabbalah. The evening of April 21 after the second Seder, begins the counting of the Omer. 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. 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). MiSPaR, number, SiPuR, the story and Sapir the sapphire, the translucent crystal of illumination that is discussed in many works of Kabbalah.Įach 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. He expounds that the word is related to the 3 mystical aspects of creation. 18th cent) wrote a powerful work entitled PaRDeS. The famous Kabbalist, the RaMaK, Reb Moshe Kordevero (ca. For each day, one Sefirah is counted within the Sefirah of the Week. We count the lower 7 Sefirot for the seven weeks. The 7 days of each of the 7 weeks constitutes the 49 days.Įach week is represented by a specific sacred attribute, called Sefirah from the mystical Tree of Life.Įach day within that week is represented by an aspect of that attribute. The 49 day period is counted in days and weeks. 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.
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