COUNTING THE OMER – This prayer is traditionally recited between sundown and sunrise of each day.
Day 11: Netzach she b’Gevurah
The Blessing (Day 11):
Baruch atah Adonai elohaynu melech ha’olam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al sephirat ha’omer.
Blessed are you, G-D, Source of Strength, You make us holy through your mitzvot, commanding us to count the Omer.
Ha yom echad asar yom, shehem shavuah echad v arba’ah yamim l’Omer. Today is the eleventh day of the Omer, which makes one week and four days of the Omer.
Week Two – Gevurah (Discernment, Restraint, Strength)
Day Eleven – Netzach she b’Gevurah (Endurance within Strength) – RIGHT HIP to LEFT SHOULDER
Netzach she b’Gevurah is like the quiet, constant flow of a river that wears down the stones, or will discern a path to go around them and still get downstream, to the future space. The strength and power of the water has an effect on the immediate area of which it comes in contact, yet it also holds on to some of its enduring strength to affect and provide for things further downstream.
The persistent effects of time and effort (Endurance) give us Strength. This Endurance (Netzach) within Discernment and Strength (Gevurah) is consistently seen in the terms of physical fitness. We often hear the term “endurance” when in the context of running. Anyone who participated in Track and Field activities in school recalls that there is an absolute difference between the approach to being a sprinter and being a long-distance runner. Both take power and strength, but long distance running specifically needs the aspect of endurance to accomplish the task at hand. Weight lifting is similar. We can lift a very heavy weight a limited number of times when it is outside of our long-term endurance. The stronger our endurance is, the stronger our ultimate strength can become.
This does not only apply to gym class related activities though. As we consider what other areas we need to have strength and power that is influenced by our ability to endure over time, we can come up with a myriad of different examples. Social workers is one area that comes to my mind when I consider the need to endure over time with strength and discernment. Social workers navigate on behalf of others that are not able to do so for themselves. Young children, often in dire situations, and individuals suffering with mental illness are among their main client base, and to help them usually requires choosing what is available at the time, continuing to evaluate and alter to provide them with strength and power in what can feel like (or be) powerless situations, and to continue this on their behalf over extended time. They are truly in it “for the long haul” with their clients, working tirelessly to fight for them and to endure struggles on their behalf to bring about the best outcome for them and for our society.
Many times it is the push from our endurance that gives us the strength to carry on. Especially when we are dealing with painful situations, such as regaining the ability to walk after an accident or loving again after a painful divorce. But it also can be in more enjoyable accomplishments as well, such as running the last mile of a marathon. Take a moment today to recall how your unique energy and endurance gave you strength to overcome a problem at some time in your life.
The wisdom of Netzach she b’Gevurah reminds us that dealing successfully with the unexpected gusts that life’s winds may blow at us is based on our own experiences in coping with other comparable life situations. Sailing through life is not a breeze, but concentrated hard work, like trimming the sails to fit the wind and the seas. Many times we may not have experience of our own to draw upon for the strength we need. Learning from how others may have coped with a similar adversity can help us to find our own ways to endure and gain the strength we need to cope.
Yedi'a 