Along the Way: Journey to Holiness

 


Dear Friends,

As we journey from Passover to Shavuot, we perform a ritual called counting the omer. for the seven weeks between these two major festivals.

This was a grain offering that represented the agricultural significance of the spring planting and harvest.

Spiritually, counting the omer provides us an opportunity to think about what it means to journey from slavery to freedom (Passover) and then onto the revelation of receiving the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai on Shavuot.

As we journey toward revelation I am reminded of when I stood on Mt. Nebo in Jordan, looking at the Promised Land the way that Moses did  As we remember Moses was not allowed to go into the Promised Land and was only given a glimpse.  I had hoped to see Israel from the mountain top but it was a hazy day and I could only see haze.  I was sad until I thought  that perhaps revelation may be the realization that our promised lands and goals are not always clear and easy to see.  As we journey through the challenges of life, perhaps being free means to accept ambiguity and realize that we may never feel that we accomplished completely what we had hoped to do.

As I think about this journey from Passover to Shavuot, and reflect upon the counting of the omer, I am mindful of the following seven emotional attributes which accompany us during this period of time. (See below)  If we can make these attributes part of our journey, then we may never need to reach our promised land.  We will have filled our journeys with sacredness.

So...as many of us have been asked by children or others traveling with us, "when will we get there,"  the question we should be asking is when we will begin to treasure the journey.

Safe travels to all of us as we continue our journeys.  Please search for information about counting the omer online and if you wish to count the omer, please click on the following link.  

Homer Omer Calendar


Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Bruce Aft

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