Parshat Emor: Leviticus 21:1 -24:23

Parshat Emor covers the various Biblical holy days and festivals. A detailed account is given of Shabbat, Pesach, the counting of the Omer, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. These core holy days are the days of celebration of the Israelites and are our inheritance from ancient Israelite religion. But as they are described in the book of Leviticus they will not be as we observe them today. These biblical holy days have remnants that we observe today—such as at Pesach-eating unleavened bread or matzah, and at Rosh Hashanah sounding loud blasts or at Yom Kippur observing a day of Atonement. But the particulars of how these holy days are observed have changed through the centuries. If we ever needed proof that religions evolve and traditions change, then this section about the ways in which we are to observe the holidays is it!

The counting off the days –seven weeks worth from the day on which the ancient Israelites brought the sheaf offering to the Tabernacle until the 50 day is a special and unique period of time that we call Omer period. This special period 7 days of 7 weeks culminating in the 50th day we call now Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) was marked so that individuals would bring a special offering of new grain from the harvest as well as first fruits offered to God. This is the period we are in right now.

According to tradition this 50th day or Pentacost is also a day of great salvation because we received the Ten Commandments at Sinai on this day. We call Shavuot “zman matan torateinu”- the time of the giving of our Torah. Thus from our Exodus on Pesach until arriving at Sinai we are anticipating the great real first gift—the gift of Torah.

But this season of counting is a time of special introspection and salvation. It is a time to work on the inner self. The mystics used this period of counting the omer to develop one’s character and inner spiritual and emotional core even more. Each of the seven weeks is dedicated to a mystical principle: the first week is Chesed - loving kindness, the second week is Gevurah, justice and discipline; the third week is Tiferet representing harmony and compassion; the fourth week is Netzach – endurance; the fifth week is Hod or humility; the sixth week is Yesod or bonding and the seventh week is dedicated to Malchut which is sovereignty and leadership. These Divine aspects of the mystical Tree help us reflect on each day and each divine attribute that we want to bring down into our world and our lives.

This week we are in the fourth and fifth week of counting the Omer for this year. This is the week of Netzach or Endurance and Hod or humility. For each of these ideals, endurance and humility, we reflect on our own abilities, our own experience of these in the world. How does our spiritual life help us to endure? And how does our spiritual life help us to remain humble? How does the practice of meditation on the counting of the omer help us to focus on these attributes and how might we apply then in our everyday living? Can we live with simple humility or will we let our egos run wild? Will we be able to patiently and with grace face difficulties and complications? Or will we cave from the pressures around us?

These are the questions of the week as we count the omer—count and prepare ourselves spiritually to receive the Torah once again at Sinai. May this week’s meditation help us receive the gift of Torah with humility and learn to protect our tradition’s enduring truths.

Posted by Eric at May 4, 2009 10:00 AM