COUNTING THE OMER – This prayer is traditionally recited between sundown and sunrise of each day.
Day 16: Gevurah she b’Tiferet
The Blessing (Day 16):
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 shisha asar yom, shehem shnai shavuot v’shnai yamim l’Omer. Today is the sixteenth day of the Omer, which makes two weeks and two days of the Omer.
Week Two – Gevurah (Discernment, Restraint, Strength)
Day Sixteen: Gevurah she b’Tiferet (Discernment within Harmony) – LEFT SHOULDER to HEART
Gevurah she b’Tiferet reminds us that structure and discipline are essential ingredients in harmony and balance. The word halacha which means “to walk” refers to the Jewish legal principles that guide us in the proper way “to walk” through the world. When the essence of the law is interpreted well and honored by the community, people live in greater harmony. This encourages us that the discernment of what we choose and the structure which we instill in our world is meant to exist to create harmony, not chaos.
Another way we can consider Gevurah she b’Tiferet is in relation to our environment. The earth is a beautiful, but delicate, planet. The fragility of the earth’s ecological balance is something that many of us are more acutely aware of and have taken active steps to alter our lives, even with small decisions that influence the earth’s condition. It is an intricate dance, and we Discern our role within it. From conservation to recycling efforts, the planting of trees and and the decreasing of toxic waste, Gevurah she b’Tiferet helps us to find the courage to act appropriately to help regain earth’s Harmony.
Today, consider the essence within some aspect of your life, discerning the unnecessary parts that may be keeping you from harmony. Remove these extra and possibly negative parts as much as possible, just as the gardener prunes the tree. This will allow the inner beauty of your life to shine through in true harmony and balance.
Yedi'a 