SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO COUNTING THE OMER
A practical guide to becoming great in 49
days.
With
the mitzvah of counting the 49 days, known as Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Torah
invites us on a journey into the human psyche, into the soul. There are seven
basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of
all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven
weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one
of them.
The seven emotional attributes are:
The seven weeks, which represent these
emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of
the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multidimensional, it includes
within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first
week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the
actual counting ("Today is day one of the Omer...") would consist of
the following structure with suggested meditations:
Upon conclusion of the 49 days we arrive at
the 50th day ― Mattan Torah. After we have achieved all we can accomplish
through our own initiative, traversing and refining every emotional corner of
our psyche, we then receive a gift ('mattan' in Hebrew) from above. We receive
that which we could not achieve with our own limited faculties. We receive the
gift of true freedom ― the ability to transcend our human limitations and touch
the divine.
During
the seventh and final week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the
attribute of Malchut ― nobility, sovereignty and leadership. Sovereignty is a
state of being rather than an activity. Nobility is a passive expression of
human dignity that has nothing of its own except that which it receives from
the other six emotions. True leadership is the art of selflessness; it is only
a reflection of a Higher will. On the other hand, Malchut manifests and
actualizes the character and majesty of the human spirit. It is the very fiber
of what makes us human.
Malchut
is a sense of belonging. Knowing that you matter and that you make a
difference. That you have the ability to be a proficient leader in your own
right. It gives you independence and confidence. A feeling of certainty and
authority. When a mother lovingly cradles her child in her arms and the child's
eyes meet the mother's affectionate eyes, the child receives the message:
"I am wanted and needed in this world. I have a comfortable place where I will
always be loved. I have nothing to fear. I feel like royalty in my heart."
This is Malchut, kingship.
Healthy
sovereignty is always kind and loving. An effective leader needs to be warm and
considerate. Does my sovereignty make me more loving? Do I exercise my
authority and leadership in a caring manner? Do I impose my authority on
others?
Exercise
for the day: Do something kind for your subordinates
Although
sovereignty is loving, it needs to be balanced with discipline. Effective
leadership is built on authority and discipline. There is another factor in the
discipline of sovereignty: determining the area in which you have jurisdiction
and authority.
Do I
recognize when I am not an authority? Do I exercise authority in unwarranted
situations? Am I aware of my limitations as well as my strengths? Do I respect
the authority of others?
Exercise
for the day: Before taking an authoritative position on any given issue, pause
and reflect if you have the right and the ability to exercise authority in this
situation.
A
good leader is a compassionate one. Is my compassion compromised because of my
authority? Do I realize that an integral part of dignity is compassion? Tiferet
― harmony ― is critical for successful leadership. Do I manage a smooth-running
operation? Am I organized? Do I give clear instructions to my subordinates? Do
I have difficulty delegating power? Do we have frequent staff meetings to
coordinate our goals and efforts?
Exercise
for the day: Review an area where you wield authority and see if you can polish
it up and increase its effectiveness by curtailing excesses and consolidating
forces.
A
person's dignity and a leader's success are tested by his endurance level. Will
and determination reflect the power and majesty of the human spirit. How
determined am I in reaching my goals? How strong is my conviction to fight for
a dignified cause? How confident am I in myself? Is my lack of endurance a
result of my low self-esteem? Do I mask my insecurities by finding other
excuses for my low endurance level?
Exercise
for the day: Act on something that you believe in but have until now been
tentative about. Take the leap and just do it!
Sovereignty
is God's gift to each individual. Hod of Malchut is the humble appreciation of
this exceptional gift. Does my sovereignty and independence humble me? Am I an
arrogant leader? Do I appreciate the special qualities I was blessed with?
Exercise
for the day: Acknowledge God for creating you with personal dignity
Examine
the bonding aspect of your sovereignty. Healthy independence should not prevent
you from bonding with another person. On the contrary: self-confidence allows
you to respect and trust another's sovereignty and ultimately bond with him.
That bond will strengthen your own sovereignty, rather than sacrifice it.
Does
my sovereignty prevent me from bonding? Could that be because of deeper
insecurities of which I am unaware? Do I recognize the fact that a fear of
bonding reflects a lack of self-confidence in my own sovereignty?
Exercise
for the day: Actualize your sovereignty by intensifying your bond with a close
one.
Examine
the sovereignty of your sovereignty. Does it come from deep-rooted inner
confidence in myself? Or is it just a put-on to mask my insecurities? Does that
cause my sovereignty to be excessive? Am I aware of my uniqueness as a person?
Of my personal contribution?
Exercise
for the day: Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self,
not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with
yourself knowing that God created a very special person which is you.
After
the 49 days of Counting the Omer, after having fully achieved inner renewal by
merit of having assessed and developed each of our 49 attributes, we arrive at
the fiftieth day. On this day we celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, the giving
of the Torah (Matan Torah). After we have accomplished all we can through our
own initiative, then we are worthy to receive a gift (matan) from Above which
we could not have achieved with our own limited faculties. We receive the
ability to reach and touch the Divine; not only to be cultivated human beings
who have refined all of our personal characteristics, but divine human beings
who are capable of expressing ourselves above and beyond the definitions and
limitations of our beings.
Excerpted from "A Spiritual Guide to Counting the
Omer" from Aish Ha Torah
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