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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.
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
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
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.
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
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
Gevurah sh’b netzach – strength within endurance – my cup overflows- (Psalm 23:5). With discipline, right intention, and compassion, I may dwell the divine and share/spread the abundance. (Thank you to our congregant Elise Luce Kraemer for sharing your inspirational Omer art!).
In what way does your cup overflow this Shabbat?
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 chamishah v’esrim yom, shehem shloshah shavuot v’arba-ah yamim la-omer. Today is 25 days which are three weeks and 4 days of the Omer.
Wishing you a meaningful omer– Your RS Clergy
What is faith to you?
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 arba-ah v’esrim yom, shehem shloshah shavuot ushloshah yamim la-omer. Today is 24 days which are three weeks and 3 days of the Omer.
Wishing you a meaningful omer– Your RS Clergy
On this daily count of the Omer, as Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day) begins, we honor the memories of Israel’s fallen soldiers.
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 esrim yom, shehem shnei shavuot v’shishah yamim la-omer. Today is 20 days which are two weeks and 6 days of the Omer.
Wishing you a meaningful omer– Your RS Clergy
Where is this world do you find beauty? For this week of focus on beauty, we celebrate the work of our congregant, Elise Kraemer, who is creating art for her counting of the Omer. Focusing on Chesed sh’b Tiferet – love within beauty – Elise includes the text: “wake up to your life, beauty in sorrow, pain and joy, full catastrophe.”Continue reading
One of the most beautiful ideas of Judaism is that we should strive to improve ourselves every day. This is the purpose of the High Holy Days, during which we take the time to examine our lives and consider what we have done wrong in the past year, and what we can do to become better people in the coming year.Continue reading
