The mystics of our tradition saw great meaning in the counting of the Omer. In its cycle of 7 days, counted 7 times, they saw a parallel to the sefirot, Divine attributes of Kabbalistic understanding. Each week, then, was dedicated to a particular attribute, and each day of that week focusing on the intersection of 2 Divine attributes. This week, we focus on tiferet: beauty, balance, harmony, heart space.

Today is the 19th day of the Omer.

Hod in Tiferet: Splendor in beauty, splendor in balance, humility in beauty

Yours, LORD, are greatness, might, splendor, triumph, and majesty—yes, all that is in heaven and on earth; to You, LORD, belong kingship and preeminence above all.
— I Chronicles 28:11

Tomorrow morning, both on Zoom and on campus, the Torah will be raised and these words sung, as they are each Shabbat during the Torah services. Attributed to King David, these words are—our tradition suggests—not only words of praise for God, but also words of gratitude for the ways that we enjoy greatness, might, splendor, triumph, and majesty in our world.

Rashi, the great medieval commentator, suggests that when King David offers these words, he offers them in thanks for the resources to build a Temple—even if ultimately, he is not the one to do it. King David gave praise to the Holy Blessed One, Rashi says, that God gave him so much strength to amass such a fortune for the building of the Temple.

The great Rabbi Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel speaks of Shabbat as a palace in time, a structure which we must build day after day, and week after week. What greatness, what might, what majesty do we experience in our lives, that we might turn towards building that palace for ourselves and our loved ones? And, in doing so, what splendor, beauty, praise, and gratitude might we find?

Shabbat Shalom.

— Rabbi Sari Laufer