Counting Down the Days!!!!!!

Today is the 2^nd day of Pesach (Passover) and it is also the first day of the counting of the Omer.  The directive for the Omer comes from Leviticus 23:15.  Growing up Baptist, this concept is one which was totally new to me when I first began my Hebraic studies, but one which I have found is so needed in our world today.  If you read my post from yesterday, I talked about Pesach being about Egypt and Egypt was about bondage, idols and those who would take away your identity.  I should probably throw slavery into the mix as well.  I started to include slavery last night, but felt that bondage covered that topic and realized today it probably does not.  Judaism covers every area of life and when one follows it to the letter, there will be no need for a Psychologist, Therapist, 12 Step Program or Divorce Lawyer.  Let me explain a bit before going further about the Omer.

It is here that I must introduce a new concept where the idea of time is concerned.  In the Western mindset time is seen as a linear idea.  There is a beginning point (birth, creation, big bang, etc.) and an ending point (death, nuclear war, End Times).   In Eastern Hebraic mindset though, time is cyclical.  Things happen over and over and over spiraling inward getting sharper and clearer with each passing until there is a climax.  This is the cycle of the feasts and festivals and appointments.  Actually when you think about it we function the same way, but tend to not speak of it the same way.  We speak of another birthday coming around again; the seasons come around again; we even talk about the cycle of life and death, i.e. when one person dies another is born to take their place and the cycle of life goes on.  The Jewish believers teach from the Torah that these feasts and festivals set forth by HASHEM, Himself, hold special power when kept at their appointed time.

This appointed time beginning with Pesach is a time for HASHEM’s children to take care of any emotional baggage they are dragging behind them.  This is the time for all of us to rid ourselves of any and all of the Egypt within us and ready ourselves for a pouring out of His Torah into our lives.  There will be 49 days of the counting of the Omer.  Are you ready?  If you are not ready to take this serious, don’t even start.  If you are arrogant enough to think you have no Egypt within you, then great.  Take your place on the left hand of God (sorry, the right hand spot is already taken).  He could probably find a crown to fit your head, but the last time I read the Word I think I read somewhere that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  I think that probably means that everyone has at least a smidgen of Egypt in them somewhere.  I would wager a bet with you that if you were to take it seriously, somewhere during the counting, HASHEM will show you the trace of EGYPT you have let creep back into your life somewhere.  The counting of the Omer is a 49 step process of self-refinement with each day dedicated to rectifying and perfecting one of the sefirot combinations on the Tree of Life.

 Now, for those who want to receive a fresh outpouring of HASHEMS Spirit 50 days from now, are you ready to begin?  (Pssst!  You know what happens in 50 days?  Do you know what feast that is?  What is 50???   Pentecost!!!!!!  And you can receive a fresh outpouring of the Spirit in 50 days if you take this seriously and see what HASHEM has to offer you by re-connecting with HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  He just thought of everything, didn’t He!!!!!  

Ready?  Okay  We have to go back to our diagram of the Tree of Life.  I will post it to one of the tabs at the top of the page and title the tab THE TREE OF LIFE. 

Day 1:  Chesed of Chesed:  loving kindness of loving kindness

First things first:  our prayer to start:

May the Merciful One restore unto us the service of the Bet Hamikdash to its place, speedily in our days; Amen, Selah.

For the Choirmaster; a song with instrumental music; a Psalm. May God be gracious to us and bless us; may He make His countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. The nations will extol You, O God; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You, O God; all the peoples will extol You, for the earth will have yielded its produce and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us; and all, from the farthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.

We implore you, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of the eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide Your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to Your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.

Master of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count Sefirat Ha-Omer, in order to purify us from our evil and uncleanness. As You have written in Your Torah, "You shall count for yourselves from the day following the day of rest, from the day on which you bring the Omer as a wave-offering; [the counting] shall be for seven full weeks. Until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days," so that the souls of Your people Israel may be cleansed from their defilement. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that in the merit of the Sefirat Ha-Omer which I counted today, the blemish that I have caused in the sefirah Chesed ShebeChesed be rectified and I may be purified and sanctified with supernal holiness. May abundant bounty thereby be bestowed upon all the worlds. May it rectify our nefesh, ruach and neshamah from every baseness and defect, and may it purify and sanctify us with Your supernal holiness. Amen, selah.

Examine the love aspect of love within your life.  Ask yourself the tough questions.  Do I know the One who is love?  Do I allow Him to love others through me?  How do I give love?  How do I receive love?  Can others see love in me and through all my actions or am I just a clanging cymbal or a blaring brass? 

Here comes the tough questions:  Do I say I love, but because of past hurts and possible abuse I withhold my love for fear of being hurt further?  Is my “love” more cordial kindness rather than true Love?  Do I truly have no problem loving others, but have trouble loving myself?  Do I feel unloved, even by HASHEM?  Do I often wonder how anyone could ever love me?  Do I feel or think that if anyone really knew me they could never love me? 

These tough questions are ones that you must ask and definitely work through to COMPLETION with satisfactory wholesome results TODAY!!!!  My friend, HASHEM wants you whole and healthy, not sick and wimpy!!!  HASHEM’s children are Princes and Princesses!  We are not paupers!  We ARE LOVED!!!  And we are the only ones who have the true capacity to love the correct way.  If you need a true vision of love, go back a few posts in my blog to the post entitled, “What’s Love Got to do With IT.”     Until tomorrow, keep asking, praying and searching, my friend, SHALOM!