The Magic of Contemplation
This sermon was given at Temple Israel’s Kabbalat Shabbat Service on the 22nd day of Iyyar 5783.
Abracadabra!
You might not know that this phrase used by magicians has Jewish mystical origins. It probably stems from the Aramaic saying “I create as was spoken,” Abra C’dabra. This powerful incantation was written on amulets in ancient times to help cure people of sickness.
Of course, as with everything ancient, people dispute whether this is really the case. Since my Hebrew professor, Rabbi Avraham Greenstein, who knows many languages affirmed the statement, I accept it as fact.
As interesting as this nugget might be on its own, it speaks to something even deeper in Judaism. According to the origin stories in Genesis, God speaks and things are created. From this model, we develop the understanding that our words create reality. What we say matters deeply. How we think and what we say determines how we perceive our lives.
It is for this reason that the counting of the Omer captured my imagination. Prior to learning about Jewish ethics and mysticism, it was easy for me to keep myself separate from integrating Judaism into my life. I could pretend I enjoyed being a “secular Jew,” because I certainly didn’t believe the literal words of the Bible, nor did I think keeping rabbinic Halakha was necessary to be a good person.
Using the Counting of the Omer to meditate into the lower seven emanations of God allows me to think deeply and concretely about the virtues that matter to me. The Omer is counted for seven weeks, starting on the second night of Passover and ending the day before Shavuot. Originally, it was a way to ensure everyone waited the appropriate amount of time between the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.
So each week is dedicated to a different aspect of God.
The first week, Chesed, focuses on Grace and Covenantal Love.
The second week on Gevurah, Strength, Boundaries, and Judgment.
The third week on Tiferet, Beauty, Truth, Compassion.
The fourth week on Netzach, Eternity and Endurance.
The fifth week on Hod, Splendor, Gratitude, and Humility.
The sixth week on Yesod, Foundation and Bonding.
The seventh week on Shekhinah / Malkhut, the Indwelling Presence and Sovereignty of God.
We are in the sixth week of the count, so the focus is on the Foundation of our Lives and how we are Bonded to our soul’s purpose. More than simply saying a blessing and counting in Hebrew, the goal of this practice is to set aside time each day to think about the purpose of our lives and how our daily thoughts, feelings, and actions help us live into that purpose. It can also be a time of clarification: reminding ourselves about the path of Goodness and waking up to the ways that we can change our habits and live into our best selves.
I don’t generally meditate by closing my eyes and imagining something or listening to my breath. Instead, I meditate into ideas and write about them, propelling myself to remember the Truth that surrounds us and waits for us to wake up to the deeper dimensions of life. I also find a photograph, usually a landscape, that helps me connect into the aspect of God that I am trying to connect with.
Blessed are You, Ground of Being our God, Divine Essence of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is 37 days, which is five weeks and three days of the Omer. Gevurah ShebeYesod, Boundaries within Bonding, Strength within Foundation.
The blessing in Hebrew can be found on the Chabad website. They’ve also produced a useful Omer counting app.
This is what I wrote last year about the 37th day:
Living in Alignment With Ourselves
Right now, we are everything we need to be.
My Strength girds me for life's ups and downs.
My Boundaries allow me the space to live into the Fundamental Purpose of my life.
I am not afraid to joyfully embrace my strengths.
I allow myself time to enjoy life.
I embrace bonding with other people: this is the core strength of my life.
Rooted in material reality, I soar beyond the heavens.
This year, the aspect of Gevurah I am focusing on is Boundaries rather than Strength.
Human Relationships: With The Other and The Self
It is important to mark the Boundaries of our relationships.
No matter how much a person or institution needs us, we must remember ourselves as individuals.
We are all dust and ashes.
We are all replaceable.
And for us, the world was created.
Our healthy Boundaries make our Bonding stronger.
Accepting our limits allows us to flourish.
None of us are angels.
No one is perfect.
Nor do we have limitless energy.
We recognize that human bonding is the cornerstone of healthy living.
And we nourish the bonds between us.
Abra C’dabra
Image by HANSUAN FABREGAS from Pixabay.