Our Rabbi says ...
The period we are
now in between Pesach and Shavuot is called the Sephira - the Counting of
the Omer. Traditionally it is a time of sadness. According to the
Talmud, 12,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students died in a massacre in that
period, the Emperor Hadrian’s persecutions.
Some take it
further back to associate it with the interval between the wheat and
harvests, a period of uncertainty, hope and prayer for physical
continuity. So partying is discouraged, except on certain days: Rosh
Hodesh, Lag B’Omer and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day).
The interesting
thing is that we don’t have a countdown to the end of the period and the
next festival. Instead we have a count-up. Not bemoaning how many days
to go, but celebrating how far have we come. Similarly the Chanukah
candles, not 8 down to 1, but 1 up to 8. The principle: we in increase
in holiness, we never decrease.
Always building up
optimistically to a climax, not turning back and looking downhill. We
may have a year to go before the Redevelopment of this building. But
when we know for sure, let it not be a final count down, but a build-up
of frequent celebratory activities and exciting events so that we can
see ourselves grow from month to month from strength to strength.
...
And the editor adds ...
These days the Internet and Facebook are full of inspirational quotes for the day in bold memes set across beautiful landscapes - you've all seen them. But why go to the Internet when our prayer books are chock-full of inspiration and material for meditation? We can count the Omer privately by using our Pilgrim Festival Machzor - the section starts on page 655 and if you read this today (Friday 17th) the blessing for this evening (Shabbat) is on page 670, the fourteenth day. With each blessing there is an extract from the writings of great Jewish thinkers.
Shabbat Shalom!
