Why I Count the Omer
For those of us who celebrate the Jewish holidays, we are now in the period of Passover. It’s hard to believe we’re already one-quarter of the way into 2019, that the Seder is over, and that summertime is right around the corner. Time has a way of marching onward, regardless of our desire or attempts to slow it down. I know I feel that life in general is all happening so quickly, it’s almost inconceivable.
We talk about making the best use of the time that we have. How to do that is a challenge. We all have to-do lists that seem never-ending, and crises needing our attention pop up regularly. It’s too easy to feel that we have wasted time, or even lost time, when the day comes to an end and we feel we haven’t accomplished enough.
One of the things I’ve personally found helpful is establishing a personal project with accountability for accomplishing defined creative tasks during a given period of time. By stating a finite expectation, with a beginning and an end date, it feels doable. Ultimately, there’s a sense of accomplishment and meaning that exists, even if nothing else was completed in that time.
There are many ways to do this. The #100DayProject Challenge I’ve undertaken (for which this essay is #17) is one example. Acknowledging the days of Elul in the month leading up to the Jewish High Holidays is another good example. Counting the Omer is another possibility, and it is one that technically begins tonight at sundown, in conjunction with the second night Seder.
A few years ago, I learned about Counting the Omer, a Jewish tradition that has it’s origins in the Bible (Leviticus 23:15–16) which instructs “You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach, when an omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days, and you shall present a new meal offering to God”.
That’s 49 days of “counting”, which has traditionally been observed by saying a specific blessing for each day. That’s all well and good, but I felt that doing something creative each day would be more meaningful to me personally. Then, I discovered a Kabbalistic tradition suggesting this as a time with potential for inner growth, when we could each work on our middot (character traits), through reflection on one aspect each day. That could be a drawing, a poem, a thought in my journal, a series of thank you notes, a unique way of reaching out to others, etc.
According to Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar:
“These rituals structure the time and activity of this season so as to elevate consciousness and inspire gratitude. In the Jewish consciousness, time is purposeful and directed, ripe with potential, and filled with meaning. Every day presents us with the choice to stay where we are, to revert to where we have been, or to progress toward fulfilling our destiny.”
Honestly, for me this has been a profound thing to do. I cannot tell anyone else how to design such a project that has meaning for them. It’s very personal and unique to each individual.
However, I will list a few resources that I’ve found useful, for anyone who is interested in pursuing the idea:
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has prepared a new Omer calendar, with quotes to ponder each day — it is a beautiful 11-page document that can be downloaded at https://gallery.mailchimp.com/2a91b54e856e0e4ee78b585d2/files/f7685395-8202-4605-8fee-d890de4f76ef/Omer_Calendar_5779_Rabbi_Sacks_FINAL_compressed.pdf
In addition, there are two books I have used for reference in creating my own Omer counting traditions; I really love them both:
Journey Through the Wilderness: A Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Jewish Practice of Counting the Omer — by Rabbi Yael Levy
A Counting: Omer — by Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar
Note: This is article #17 for my #100DayProject. (Note: I am currently 2 days behind schedule.) Each article includes an image of a book or other publication that I’ll be discussing. These posts are for anyone who loves to share ideas, and they serve as a reminder that we each have something of value to add to the conversation. What we read, write and create is such integral part of who we are. I hope you will connect your love of reading and writing to personal interests along with me. I will post an article each day on Medium, with a daily link on Facebook and Twitter and a notice with artwork on Instagram. Please do share any comments or thoughts!
