Today is the 22nd day of the Omer.

There is a kabbalistic (Jewish mystical) tradition that assigns a particular value to each week of the seven week cycle of counting from Passover to Shavuot. This week’s focus is Netzach (נצח). Here’s how Jerusalem native Chaya Gilboa, educator and non-profit leader, defines it: “Netzach implies two Hebrew words: nitzachon—victory over our fears and nitzchiut—eternity… [T]he connection between these two concepts is tenacity. If we want to overcome weak spots in ourselves, we must persist. If we want to live lives that have eternal meaning, we must do so by continuing, because we are part of something greater than ourselves.”

What a powerful teaching for this moment in our lives as individuals, a Jewish community, and members of the human family. We ensure our continuity, we face our fears more bravely, with tenacity. We find that courage, that sense of hope, by remembering that our community and our rich tradition are what help us to realize that we are indeed part of something much greater than ourselves.

— Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback