Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 5/Hod (SPLENDOR)
"The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves, 'inside the skin' of the other. We 'go inside' their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering.."
-Thich Nhat Hanh-
This week and in particular this day has provided me with opportunities for compassion and suffering. Our synagogue will be host to President Barack Obama on Friday. You may or may be able to imagine the amount of security that goes into such an activity. As the speech will be in the middle of pre-school it is changing our schedule. I am delighted the president will be here because the occasion is also my birthday and I fancy it as a special birthday gift but the tension many staff are feeling makes me sad. Today I found myself walking this path of splendor as I walked through the woods on a class tiyyul. Later I found myself walking a tightrope of stress as I listened to co-workers issues. Occasionally I was experiencing splendor and stress at the same time. Another way perhaps of refining ourselves to better receive the Torah.
After nightfall on Wednesday:
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM
ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is forty-seven days which is six weeks and five days of the Omer.
No comments:
Post a Comment