Rabbi Shimon used to say: There are three crowns–the crown of the Torah, the crown of the priesthood, and the crown of kingship, but the crown of a good name surpasses them all.
—Pirkei Avot 4:17
Robin Arzon, one of my favorite Peloton instructors, always reminds her riders to “Straighten up and adjust your crowns,” referring to us all as royalty. But, what is the crown we wear? What is the sovereignty that grounds us?
Today is day 48 of the Omer, the penultimate day. According to the kabbalists, the mystics, it is a day dedicated to yesod in malchut, foundation in nobility, in sovereignty. The work of the Omer is really the work of our lives—to dig deep, and center ourselves in who we want to be, to ground ourselves in the very best version of ourselves—and bring that self proudly into the world. Crown optional.
—Rabbi Sari Laufer