Thirty-two days of the Omer: Eternal Splendor
Today is thirty-two days, which is four weeks and four days of the Omer. נצח שבהוד, Netzach ShebeHod, Eternal Splendor.
Eternity and Splendor, the pillars of the Temple. The pillars of the structure we build to meet the Divine. What are your inner pillars? What ideas do you hold fast to when life doesn't go exactly right? I hold onto Goodness and Holiness. Goodness, my vision of a just and truthful world. Holiness, the grace and compassion that shelter the world in a loving embrace.
It used to make me anxious and feel unworthy that my thoughts, words, and deeds were not always rooted in Goodness and Holiness. I am beginning to sink into the fact that I am an unfolding love. I maintain responsibility for my speech and actions, but I try to not hold myself to the impossible standard of perfection.
By realizing it is not possible to stay completely connected to Eternal Splendor all the moments of my life, my attachment to Eternal Splendor deepens.
Moments of Eternal Splendor
Every time I wrap myself in a tallit, a holy prayer shawl, and pray that my soul will be able to bless the Divine.
Every time I wrap tefillin around my arm and crown myself with tefillin.
Every time I wind the teffilin around my middle finger and betroth myself to the Holy One, Blessed be She, using the same words I used to betroth myself to my beshert.
Every time I sink into Ahavah Rabbah, and feel the Divine's unwavering love for me and for the entire universe, and know that the pursuit of knowledge is wrapped in heavenly love.
Every time my person meditation crescendoes into the holy words of Elohai N'tzor, My God Guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies.
Previously on this day in the Omer
32 Days of the Omer 5778 / 2018: Is there something in life that connects you to pure holiness?
32 Days of the Omer 5777 / 2017: The holiness of community, reflected from my first experience at Rabbi Sid Schwarz's Transdenominational Rabbinical Student Retreat.