counting time!
Before sundown on Wednesday May 11th it is the 25th day of the omer.
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 שִׁשָּׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם, שֶׁהֵם שְׁלֹשָׁה שָׁבוּעוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים לָעֹמֶר׃ הוֹד שֶׁבְּנֶצַח
haYom shisha v'esrim yom, she'hem shlosha shavuot vachamisha yamim laOmer: hod sheb'netzach.
Today is Twenty-Six Days, which are Three Weeks and Five Days of the Omer: Hōd within Netsaḥ
---Introspection from A Spiritual Guide to the Omer by Simon Jacobson, available for purchase or to read online:
---Hod of Netsaḥ
Yielding - which is a result of humility - is an essential element of enduring. Standing fast can sometimes be a formula for destruction. The oak, lacking the ability to bend in the hurricane, is uprooted. The reed, which yields to the wind, survives without a problem. Do I know when to yield, out of strength not fear? Why am I often afraid to yield?
Endurance is fueled by inner strength. Hod of netzach is the humble recognition and acknowledgement that the capacity to endure and prevail comes from the soul that G‑d gave each person. This humility does not compromise the drive of endurance; on the contrary, it intensifies it, because human endurance can go only so far and endure only so much, whereas endurance that comes from the Divine soul is limitless.
Do I attribute my success solely to my own strength and determination? Am I convinced that I am all powerful due to my level of endurance? Where do I get the strength at times when everything seems so bleak?
Exercise for the day: When you awake, acknowledge G‑d for giving you a soul with the extraordinary power and versatility to endure despite trying challenges. This will allow you to draw energy and strength for the entire day.
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 fourth 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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