Thirty-eight days of the Omer 5777

Today is thirty-eight days, which is five weeks and threedays, of the Omer. Tiferet of Yesod. Beauty / Truth of Bonding / Foundation.

Holdingonto a holy foundation is difficult. It is easy to become consumed by ephemeralmaterial concerns -- checking your Facebook feed, worrying how many likes yourlatest Instagram post has, getting lost in the never-ending supply of qualitytelevision. None of these things are evil, but when they are done withoutlimits, we create space for the Yetzer HaRa, the inclination toward evil, andwe close the door to our souls.

Sometimes, the truth we feel is so painful it tears apartour equilibrium. We lose sight of holiness when we enter depression -- indeed,some sources say depression is the ultimate sin. This is a controversialstatement to people steeped in medical diagnoses of mental health.

Considerthis example: a young woman struggles to find her place in the world. Shequestions whether she deserves to be alive. Slowly, incrementally, while partof her observes the process, she sinks into depression. Eventually, she stopsfunctioning and medical professionals declare her depressed and put her on aseries of medications. But the fog doesn't truly lift until she finds solidground -- within herself and beyond herself -- on which to live a life ofmeaning and service.

The solidground is the Jewish wisdom tradition, including prayer rituals, mysticalinsights, acknowledgement of the spirit, and struggle through the materialworld.

And theyoung woman isn't so young anymore.

I recognize how tremendously psychiatric drugs can help people's lives. I also recognize that there are limits to how psychiatry treats human suffering. I do not shy away from learning from psychology and neuroscience -- Jung, neo-Jungian / depth psychology, Seligman's positive psychology, and Siegel's mindsight are bedrocks in the foundation I have built for myself.

In honorof Chris Cornell, whose memory will always be a blessing, may we take some timeto reflect on what it means to create a foundation of truth. How can we bondwith our friends and family in a way that supports them, and ourselves, intimes of psychological and spiritual crisis? How can we be there, staying nearto people even when they act poorly, speak hurtfully, and generally ignore allof our help?

Do wespend enough time outside of the social media nirvana bubble to know how ourfriends are truly doing? Are we physically present, mentally connected, andproviding concrete support to those in need?

Ourjourneys through this world are interconnected. May our souls support oneanother, lift one another up, and help each other inhabit the beauty and truthof a holy foundation.