Count the omer *especially* tonight because it's a holiday
Before sundown on Wednesday May 18th it is the 32nd day of the omer.
So tonight thru tomorrow is Lag Baomer!After sundown, count the omer:
הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵים מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל סְפִירַת הָaעֽוֹמֶר,כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַתּוֹרָה:
וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃
עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים יֹ֑ום
Hin'ni mukhan umzuman, l'kayyem mitzvat aseh shel sefirat haomer k'mo shekatuv batorah:
usfartem lachem mimekhorat hashabat miyom havieachem et-omer hatnufah sheva shabatot t'mimot tihyenah:
ad mim'chorat hashabat hashvi'it tisp'ru khamishim yom.
Behold, I am prepared and ready to perform the mitsvah of counting the Omer, as is written in your Torah:
"You are to count from the end of the rest day. From the day you brought the waived Omer-offering, they [the counting] shall be seven complete weeks.
Until the end of the seventh week you shall count fifty days…"
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר׃
Barukh atah adonoi eloheinu melekh ha'olam asher qidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al sefirat ha'omer.
Blessed are you, YHVH our G-d, ruler of the universe, who sanctified us with Their mitsvot and commanded us to count the Omer.
הַיּוֹם שְׁלֹשָׁה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, שֶׁהֵם אַרְבָּעָה שָׁבוּעוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים לָעֹמֶר׃ הוֹד שֶׁבְּהוֹד
haYom shloshah u'shloshim yom, she'hem arba'ah shavuot v'chamisha yamim laOmer: hod sheb'hod.
Today is Thirty-Three Days, which are Four Weeks and Five Days of the Omer: Hōd within Hōd.
---Introspection from A Spiritual Guide to the Omer by Simon Jacobson, available for purchase or to read online:
---Hod of Hod
Examine the humility of humility. Everyone has humility and modesty in their hearts, the question is the measure and manner in which one consciously feels it? Am I afraid to be too humble? Do I mask and protect my modesty with aggressive behavior? Learn to cultivate your humility by interacting with people who are more refined than yourself, evoking in you modesty and humility that motivates you to grow.
Humility must also be examined for its genuineness. Is my humility humble? Or is it yet another expression of arrogance? Do I take too much pride in my humility? Do I flaunt it? Is it self-serving? Is my humility part of a crusade or is it genuine? Do I have expectations due to my humility?
Exercise for the day: Be humble just for its own sake.
Ana Bekoach
אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ גְּדֻלַּת יְמִינְךָ תַּתִּיר צְרוּרָה
קַבֵּל רִנַּת עַמְּךָ שַׂגְּבֵנוּ טַהֲרֵנוּ נוֹרָא
נָא גִבּוֹר דּוֹרְשֵׁי יִחוּדְךָ כְּבָבַת שָׁמְרֵם
בָּרְכֵם טַהֲרֵם רַחֲמֵי צִדְקָתְךָ תָּמִיד גָּמְלֵם
חָסִין קָדוֹשׁ בְּרֹב טוּבְךָ נַהֵל עֲדָתֶךָ
יָחִיד גֵּאֶה לְעַמְּךָ פְּנֵה זוֹכְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ
שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ קַבֵּל וּשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתֵנוּ יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת
Ana b'coakh g'dulat y'mincha tatir tz'rurah.
Kabel rinat amcha sag'veinu tahareinu nora.
Na gibor dorshei yichudcha k'vavat shom'reim.
Bar'cheim tahareim rachameim tzidkatcha tamid gom'leim.
Chasin kadosh b'rov tuvcha naheil adatecha.
Yachid geieh l'amcha p'neih zochrei k'dushatecha.
Shavateinu kabeil ush'ma tza'akateinu yodeia ta'alumot.
Please, with the power of Your great right hand free the bound.
Accept the song of Your people, empower us, make us pure, Awesome One!
Please, Mighty One, the seekers of Your unity, watch them like the pupil of an eye.
Bless them, make them pure, have mercy on them; Your justness bestow upon them always.
Tremendous Holy One, in Your abundant goodness guide Your community.
Unique One, Exalted One, face Your people who remember Your holiness.
Accept our prayer, hear our cry, Knower of secrets.
(quietly:)
בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
Barukh shem k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed.
Blessed is the Name of Their resplendent majesty in the Cosmos forever.
---This shabbat (or this week), study the fifth chapter of pirkei avot.
---Transliterations mostly mine; hebrew text and translation from OpenSiddur and neohasid. I did tweak a little of the translations because i'm picky.
Spiritual Guide to Counting the Omer excerpt sourced from: Rabbi Simon Jacobson | Dean | The Meaningful Life Center | meaningfullife.com.
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