The 27th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Sunday night. Tonight we count three weeks and six days of the Omer. It is the evening of Mother's Day.

This is the day of Yesod within Netzach, connection within endurance. On this day, I think about how I include other people in my ambitions and how my determination to succeed is aided by the people who are my companions and collaborators in achieving our goals together.

I know that I have a streak of perfectionism in me, and I know that I sometimes believe that, in my pursuit of perfection, I am better off if I work toward my long-term goals on my own. I forget that, in every worthy thing that I do, I am in partnership with others. If my goals are not only for my own satisfaction, but are to serve others, then I must be willing to depend upon others to help me achieve them.

Some of the most important goals in my life are in my role as a parent to my children. On this Mothers Day, I am incredibly grateful to my wife, who is an amazing mother and the best person I could every imagine as a partner in our shared long-term goal of raising happy, confident, fulfilled and radiant children. Thank you, Jonquil.

On this 27th day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to building respectful, caring and mutual relationships with the many people who are my partners in building joyful Jewish communities. I remember that those relationships are the foundation of my work and of some of my highest aspirations.

May this be a day in which you find joy and the fulfillment of your highest goals in your partnerships with others.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

May the One who blessed our ancestors, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel, bless all of our mothers and grandmothers. May they know the joy of children who are confident and independent, and yet still love coming to their mothers for comfort and hugs. May they be blessed with children who appreciate them for their wisdom, courage and skill.

May our mothers and grandmothers have the strength to love more than they thought they could, may they be patient and forgiving when it is needed, and may they savor every moment and every phase of their children's lives.

May their experiences as mothers and grandmothers fill their hearts with a deep sense of fulfillment and meaning. May their children and grandchildren recognize the ways that mothers and grandmothers celebrate their every accomplishment and suffer in their every hardship. 

May all our mother and grandmothers be a blessing. And we say together, Amein.

The 26th day of the Counting of the Omer begins as Shabbat ends on Saturday night. Tonight we count three weeks and five days of the Omer. 

This is the day of Hod within Netzach, humility within endurance. In the imagination of Jewish mysticism, these two qualities are paired opposites. Netzach is triumph and the determination to transform imperfect reality into the ideal. Hod is humility and the quality of accepting things as they are. How does one find the acceptance of imperfection within the striving toward the ideal? In a real sense, one cannot exist without the other.

On this day, I think about how my highest ambitions cannot succeed if I do not have the humility to acknowledge that there is something outside of myself that allows me to bring those dreams to reality. I think about how I live in a community, a world, and a reality. If I am to transform any of them, I must lower my ego to see myself as a part of them.

On this 26th day of the Counting of the Omer, I am mindful that I am a small part of a much larger reality, but I also am mindful of the audacious belief that I can change it for the better.

May this be a day in which you see yourself as you truly are – a tiny part of a miraculous creation, yet a part that was created for greatness.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 25th day of the Counting of the Omer begins with Shabbat on Friday night. Tonight we count three weeks and four days of the Omer. This is the middle day of the Counting of the Omer; we have reached the halfway point on the journey toward the revelation of Torah on Shavuot.

This is the day of Netzach within Netzach, endurance within endurance. On this day, I think about having a vision statement for myself and staying true to it. I think about how my endurance – my ability to stay focussed on my goals and stick with them for the long term – depends upon having a clear vision of where I want to go. 

You are probably familiar with the way that many companies and non-profit organizations adopt a brief statement that encapsulates the central goal and purpose of their existence. Here are a few I like:

• Habitat for Humanity: "A world where everyone has a decent place to live"
• The Humane Society: "Celebrating animals, confronting cruelty"
• Disney: "To make people happy"
• TED: "Spreading Ideas"

People can have vision statements, too. A simple vision statement is a guide to help me clarify what I aim for in life. It is a touchstone to help me when I feel lost or without direction. Here is my vision statement: "A life of joy and meaning with family, community and Torah." 

What's yours?

On this 25th day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to keeping my long-term vision in sight. I dedicate myself to living with a purpose that I can stick to for the long haul.

May this be a day in which you are inspired by a vision of your life's direction and meaning, and may you be blessed with the spirit to stay true to your path.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 24th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Thursday night. Tonight we count three weeks and three days of the Omer. This day falls during the week of the Torah portion that introduces the term "Sabbatical Year" and the laws of resting the land every seven years.

This is the day of Tiferet within Netzach, balance within endurance. On this day, I think about how I have to balance my life with restoring rest in order to achieve my long-term goals. I know there have been times in my life when I have confused dedication with self-abuse. Being persistent and devoted – even for a very good cause – will not succeed without good self-care.

This is a lesson that seems well-suited to this week's Torah portion (Behar), which teaches, "Every seven years the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath of Adonai. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard" (Leviticus 25:4). Everything requires rest and renewal. Just as the productivity of the land must be balanced with the need to rest it, so do we need to make long-term choices that allow us to balance our lives with restoring rest. We all need time for our families, for letting go, for learning, and for renewal. 

As I think about the journey of my life, with all of the goals and promises I have set for myself, I remember that there is no objective more worthy of being called, "holy to Adonai," than to give myself the time and space I need for my own renewal. On this 24th day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to balancing my life, each day and throughout the years, with time to absorb the nutrients of learning, to be strengthened by connecting with family and community, and to allow myself to be healed with mental, physical and spiritual rest.

May this be a day in which you prepare yourself for the long journey of life by setting a practice of healing and restoring rest.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 23rd day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Wednesday night. Tonight we count three weeks and two days of the Omer.

This is the day of Gevurah within Netzach, discipline within endurance. In some ways, the pairing of discipline – think of it as "inner strength" – and endurance – think of it as "staying power" – is natural. It can be hard to distinguish one from the other. But think of it this way: It is possible to run for a very long time if you are afraid that something is chasing you. Having a lot of endurance does not necessarily mean that you keep going out of your own inner strength.

On this day, I think about whether it is my own will that drive my long-term energy. I think about the way that fear of failure can sometimes become a more potent motivator for me than the desire to achieve my goals. On this day, I think about putting my own resolve and determination into the driver's seat of my life's journey.

On this 23rd day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to reexamining my goals in life and allowing the drive to achieve them come from my own will and desire. I commit to examining and correcting the ways that I allow the need to please other people, the fear of disapproval, and just sheer momentum to keep me running. 

May this be a day in which you discover that the greatest source of energy in your life is you. May you become a blessing to yourself by doing what you really want to do.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 22nd day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Tuesday night. Tonight we count three weeks and one day of the Omer.

This is the day of Chesed within Netzach, love within endurance. On this day, I think about the quality of my ambition and what motivates it. Do I aspire to achieve out of my caring for others, or am I driven by selfishness? On this day, I think about putting my loving relationships at the center of my aspirations and striving.

Jewish tradition sees ambition in a mostly positive light. We are encouraged to set goals in life and to work toward achieving them. But ambition must be tied both to worthy goals and to worthy intentions. It's great to aspire to solving the world's problems. It has more than a few. But if the engine that drives my desire is just to burnish my ego, it will not result in anything good. Only ambitions that derive from a true desire to be of loving service to others will be of benefit.

On this 22nd day of the Counting of the Omer, I recommit myself to putting chesed, lovingkindness, at the center of my goals for myself and the motivation toward my aspirations. I seek to focus my long-term energies toward being of service to others. 

May this be a day in which you find new energy to pursue your ambitions by connecting them to the people you love.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 21st day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Monday night. Tonight we count three weeks of the Omer. This is also Yom HaAtzma'ut, Israel's Independence Day.

This is the day of Malchut within Tiferet, nobility within balance. On this day, I think about how reaching balance in life cannot be achieved passively. It requires sustained and devoted attention and action to living up to my vision for myself. I think about the high-minded ideals I try to live by and how, in reaching toward them, I bring greater satisfaction and peace into my life.

As Israel celebrates its sixty-sixth birthday, I believe that the Jewish state finds itself at a crossroads of how it will live up to its ideals – how it will find a peaceful and balanced future by pursuing its own high-minded values. In its so-far-unsuccessful efforts to negotiate an agreement with the Arab Palestinians, Israel has had to confront how it will realize the goal it set for itself on this Hebrew date 66 years ago in its Declaration of Independence – to build the State of Israel "on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions."

On this 21st day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to action based on what I know to be the highest and best within myself. I do so with awareness that the effort toward my most noble self is also the path toward a peaceful and balanced life.

May this be a day in which you realize your greatest splendor by living up to your most cherished values.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 20th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Sunday night. Tonight we count two weeks and six days of the Omer. This is also Yom HaZikaron, the day that Israel remembers its fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.

This is the day of Yesod within Tiferet, connection within balance. On this day, I think about how my connections to others – family, community and beyond – contribute to my sense of balance and wellbeing in life. I think about how each relationship in my life is a sacred trust. Living up to the obligations of each sacred relationship is not always easy. Sometimes it is very challenging, indeed. But the work of maintaining and nurturing my relationships is exactly what I need to grow as a person to find balance in my life.

In Israel today, sirens sound throughout the country to mark a moment to remember the fallen. As in past years, traffic will stop, people will stand silently, and every single Israeli will remember relatives, friends, school classmates, neighbors, and comrades in arms who have died in one of the nation's many conflicts. For Israelis, this certainly is a day to recall how the Jewish state has survived only by the loyalty, connection, and group identity that binds one Israeli to another in a sacred trust. That connection is the foundation that makes a disparate society into a unified whole.

On this 20th day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to building relationships of trust that have foundations in respect, not in domination, and in love, not in fear. By bringing such balance into my relationships, I strive to bring balance into my life.

May this be a day in which you find your own most radiant and beautiful self in the way that you build radiant and beautiful relationships with others.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 19th day of the Counting of the Omer begins as Shabbat ends on Saturday night. Tonight we count two weeks and five days of the Omer.

This is the day of Hod within Tiferet, humility within balance. On this day, I am thinking about how my quest for a harmony and equanimity in life cannot be a selfish or ego-driven. If I were to seek only my peace as a narcissistic, navel-gazing pursuit, there could never be any real balance or harmony. The search for real balance in life must be selfless and outwardly directed.

This is something I often consider in prayer. Praying can be a lonely and solipsistic activity. When praying, my mind is often a closed loop of self-referential questions. Am I good enough? Do I care enough? Am I doing this right? In those moments, though, when prayer really works for me, I find that I break out of the loop and forget to think about myself. That is where my most meaningful prayer experience lies – in an awareness of being part of a larger reality. 

On this 19th day of the Counting of the Omer, I commit to finding balance in my life by looking past the horizon of my own ego and, instead, connecting with world beyond myself. It is the world of action, doing things for others and helping to repair the world. In these activities I simultaneously lose myself and rediscover my better self. 

May this be a day in which you find peace by lowering your ego and connecting in wonder with the world beyond yourself.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer