Rabbi Simon Jacobson created a “Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer.” He offers 49 steps “to personal refinement” as a means of readying ourselves for the receiving of Torah during Shavuot. Rabbi Jacobson writes, “Each day in time has a life of its own. A day is a unique energy flow waiting to be tapped and channeled into the fiber of man’s being.”
How true this is. In a rabbi’s office, one hears it all. One day, a person receives an eviction notice. Another day, a congregant hears about an unexpected inheritance. One day, someone is diagnosed with an illness. Another day, a student gets into the college of their dreams. One day, a baby is born. Another day, a loved one dies. As the alarm clock blares, it is impossible to know what the day will bring and yet, we wake up and thank God for the opportunity to breathe in these precious, holy moments for we learn how fragile time can be.
Counting the omer is a spiritual exercise that reminds us to value those we love and cherish the time given by the Holy One. Take this exact moment to count your blessings. Don’t wait. And as you do, you will fashion a heart that is both ready to receive and ready to give.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
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