Omer Thoughts

Hi,

Gd-willing, I will send out a daily Omer email throughout the Omer, including a note about the day's particular Sefirah as well as an event from that day in Jewish history.

Here are the first two emails:
-
Day 1: Chesed sheb'Chesed - Kindness in Kindness
Please see below for an introduction to the Sephirot, the mystical associations of each day of the Omer. Each day's dvar torah email will focus on the Sephirah associated with that day.

The Sephirah of the Omer's first week is Chesed. Chesed is kindness which motivates a person to give of himself - physically, financially, emotionally - to another.

The term Chesed sheb'Chesed, "the kindness in kindness", suggests the most pure breed of kindness - helping others not because of external goals or benefits, and not begrudgingly or out of a sense of obligation, but purely because one wishes to distribute from one's own resources in order to benefit others.

This may occur naturally in the love of a parent for a child, or of spouses for each other, but it is rare to see this sort of relationship in general society. Today's Sephirah encourages us to develop this trait in ourselves, expressed perhaps in holding a door open, in taking time to speak with a person who needs to talk, in donating to a tzedakah, or in dancing at a wedding.

Certainly, there must be healthy and halachic bounds to our sharing with others, but Chesed sheb'Chesed is about pushing the boundaries, building our desire to be kind to others.

The 16th of Nisan, in Jewish History
Moshe informed the Jews in the wilderness (Vayikra 23:9-14) that upon entry into Israel, they would be obligated to observe the prohibition of chadash. Under this law, the new year's grain is prohibited until a special omer offering is brought on the 16th of Nisan. In the absence of a Mishkan or Beit haMikdash, the arrival of the 16th of Nisan itself permits consumption of the new grain.

In line with this law, Yehoshua 5:9-12 informs us that the first time that the Jews who entered Israel from the wilderness ate from the grain of the land was on the 16th of Nisan, the day after they celebrated Pesach. The manna then stopped falling.

Day 2: Gevurah sheb'Chesed - Restraint in Kindness
Please see below for an introduction to the Sephirot, the mystical associations of each day of the Omer. Each day's dvar torah email will focus on the Sephirah associated with that day.

The Sephirah of the Omer's first week is Chesed. Chesed is kindness which motivates a person to give of himself - physically, financially, emotionally - to another.

However, the Sephirah of the second day of each Omer week is Gevurah. Gevurah is power, and we recall the lesson of Pirkei Avot 4:1: איזהו גבור? הכובש את יצרו, True Gevurah is self-control.

The combined Sephirah for Day 2 of the Omer is therefore Gevurah sheb'Chesed, "power in kindness". This title suggests a controlled kindness, a kindness which exists within healthy and appropriate boundaries.

Boundaries keep people from smothering each other, or stifling growth, or helping in undesired and undesirable ways. For example, as the gemara explains, one should not visit an ill person when he is feeling weak or in an embarrassing situation. In other examples, we are taught to avoid kindness which could be misunderstood or lead to impropriety.

Today's Sephirah reminds us that all good traits, even that of Kindness, must be carefully measured. Even HaShem bounded His kindness when He created the world, and we must do the same when we give to others.

The 17th of Nisan, in Jewish History
Bronya Kutzenok, born to a family of Tchernobler chassidim and married to a teacher, made aliyah in July 1921. She Hebraicized her name to Bracha Peli, and opened a library. Bracha eventually moved into bookselling, and then into publishing with her Masada Press. On the 17th of Nisan, in the year 1926, Bracha held the first "Hebrew Book Day". This became an annual event, morphing into today's "Hebrew Book Week" and "Hebrew Torah Book Week" celebrations, which are held in June.


Introduction to Sephirot
The "Sephirot", or "countings", are ten facets of Divine Creation. They are divided into two portions - the upper 3, and the lower 7. The lower 7 are:

Chesed (kindness);
Gevurah (power);
Tiferet (splendour);
Netzach (victory);
Hod (glory);
Yesod (foundation);
Malchut (monarchy).

We are taught that the 7 weeks of the Omer which take us from Pesach to Shavuot, from escaping Egypt to receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, are connected to these lower 7 Sephirot. The seven days of each week are also connected to these lower 7 Sephirot.

Thus the first week of the Omer is Chesed (kindness). The first day of that week is Chesed sheb'Chesed (kindness in kindness), the second day of that week is Gevurah sheb'Chesed (power in kindness), the third day of that week is Tiferet sheb'Chesed (splendour in kindness), and so on.

Then the second week of the Omer is Gevurah (power). The first day of that week is Chesed sheb'Gevurah (kindness in power), the second day of that week is Gevurah sheb'Gevurah (power in power), and so on.

But what do these terms mean? What is "kindness in power", for example?

Further, Rav Kook wrote that we are to study these Divine attributes in order to learn how to emulate G-d and draw near to Him. But what lessons can we draw from these attributes, for our own conduct?

Each day of the Omer, we'll publish a dvar torah exploring the message of the special Sephirah for that day, and what it can teach us for our own lives.

-
I may post the Sefirah part on the Daily Torah Thought blog, but I won't be posting the history component there. To sign up, email info@torontotorah.com or follow @zichrondov on Twitter. The emails are free.

חג כשר ושמח,
Mordechai