Counting the Omer: Protecting Each Other

You’ve heard the expression: “Stick your neck out?”  What is the metaphor?  We compare ourselves to what animal?  I always thought it was giraffe.  Long neck.  I was wrong.  To stick your neck out, is to be like a turtle.  Why?  Sticking your neck out involves risk.

Judaism takes this concept, to stick your neck out, very seriously.  Take the Jewish law about gossip, or lashon hara: If one person is gossiping to another, and a 3rd person overhears, the conversation.  Of the 3 people, who is most responsible–the gossiper, the listener, or the witness?

The 3rd person.  The witness is obligated to intervene.  There is no pass, for the passive bystander.  Judaism’s focus on the power of the witness, demands we stick our neck out– to take a risk for what we know to be right.

In the past several months, the Whitehouse and college campuses across the nation have brought new attention and resources to this concept of sticking your neck out, in response to the epidemic of sexual violence against women on campus.  Bystander Intervention, believed to be the best hope for reducing sexual assault on campus, aims to empower anyone who is witnessing potential trouble.  Continue reading

Counting the Omer: Shabbat Wonder

“Wonder, rather than doubt, is the root of all knowledge,” taught Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.  As we count the Omer on this Shabbat, we dedicate ourselves to opening our eyes to the wonder all around us.

Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha-olam asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al s’firat ha’omer. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with sacred actions and enjoins us to count the omer.

Hayom shishah v’arba-im yom, shehem shishah shavuot v’arba-ah yamim la-omer.

Today is 46 days which is 6 weeks and 6 days of the Omer.

Shabbat shalom–Your RS Clergy

Counting the Omer: Four Myths about Jewish Meditation

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/86436446]

Thank you to our congregant, Elise Luce Kraemer, who helps to lead our regular Friday evening Shabbat-prep meditation, for this below article about helpful hints that make Jewish meditation more accessible for us all!

  1. I tried meditation once, but I couldn’t stop thinking, therefore I am “bad” at meditating.

Typically, meditation involves focusing on breath, a sound, or a prayer with the intention to quiet the mind.  However, everyone who has a working mind experiences thoughts while meditating.  The goal of meditation is not to get rid of you mind, but instead to cultivate mindfulness.  That is, to become aware of your thoughts and emotions, acknowledge them without judgment, and gently return to your practice, e.g. your breath.  Even very experienced meditators often experience “monkey mind” (where your mind is all over the place, jumping from thought to thought) when they meditate – it is simply human nature.Continue reading

Counting the Omer: In Honor of the Memory of Maya Angelou

For teaching us the redemptive healing in telling our stories, for inspiring civil rights work not yet complete, for captivating a country with written and spoken word, thank you, Maya Angelou.  May your memory be a blessing.

On today’s Omer counting, in honor of Maya Angelou’s memory, we pray that, in her words, we may “give birth again to the dream.”Continue reading

Counting the Omer: The Lighter Side

http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-seth-meyers/video/seths-story-seths-jewish-enough/2776163

For Lag b’omer custom teaches us to lighten up the Omer intensity a bit with picnics, bonfires and celebration.  Enjoy!

Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha-olam asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al s’firat ha’omer. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with sacred actions and enjoins us to count the omer.

Hayom shloshah ushiloshim yom, shehem arbah-ah shavuot vachamishah yamim la-omer.

Today is 33 days which are 4 weeks and 5 days of the Omer.

Counting the Omer: Deeds of Lovingkindness

“The Torah begins with deeds of lovingkindness and ends with deeds of lovingkindness” (BT Sotah 14a).

The renowned and beloved singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman, of blessed memory, observed that it tends to be easy for us human beings to be loving with babies and old people.  The challenge is to off that kind of easy affection toward everyone. (Thank you to Rabbi Amy Eilberg for sharing this teaching in her book: From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace).

As we count the Omer today, can you think of a recent time when you found it difficult to offer someone lovingkindness?Continue reading

Counting the Omer: Special Needs and A Different Place

Welcome to Holland

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability to try and help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel.  It’s like this…..

When you are going to have a baby it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip-to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum the Michelangelo David, the gondolas etc. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all exciting. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later the plane lands and the stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.” “Holland?” you say, “what do you mean Holland?” I signed up for Italy I’m supposed to be in Italy! All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.” But there has been a change of flight plan and you’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting place full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place. So you must go out and buy different guide books and learn a new language. You will meet a whole bunch of people you never would have met. It’s just a different place, slower pace than Italy, less flashy than Italy. After a while you catch your breath and look around you and you begin to notice that Holland has Tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from ItalyContinue reading

Counting the Omer: Happiness Is…

Today, as you count the Omer, understand Jewish wisdom about the source of our happiness.

Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha-olam asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al s’firat ha’omer.  Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with sacred actions and enjoins us to count the omer.

Hayom tishah v’esrim yom, shehem arbah-ah shavuot v’yom echad la-omer. Today is 29 days which are 4 weeks and 1 day of the Omer.

Counting the Omer: Sad Desk Lunch

Sad desk lunch and social isolation– another angle on our community conversations about the role of food in our lives.  Consider in today’s counting of the Omer: Have you recently connected with someone as you broke bread together?Continue reading

Counting the Omer: For the Love of Math

Can you find meaning in numbers?  Reformjudaism.org explores the inspiration in math in this article.

Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha-olam asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al s’firat ha’omer.  Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with sacred actions and enjoins us to count the omer.

Hayom shishah v’esrim yom, shehem shloshah shavuot vachamishah yamim la-omer. Today is 26 days which are three weeks and 4 days of the Omer.Continue reading