Technical definition Sfirat haOmer – counting of the Omer, technically is counting of forty-nine days beginning from the day on which the Omer, a sacrifice containing an omer-measure of barley, was offered in Beit-Hamikdash – the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Jewish tradition, we start the counting after the first day of Pesach, on 16-th of Nissan. We continue…
WEEK 5 ― HOD ― HUMILITY Lag B’Omer bonfire During the fifth week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the emotional attribute of Hod or humility. Humility ― and the resulting yielding ― should not be confused with weakness and lack of self-esteem. Hod or humility is modesty ― it is acknowledgment (from the root of the Hebrew…
Sefirat Ha’omer: WEEK 4 ― NETZACH ― ENDURANCE During the fourth week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the emotional attribute of endurance known as Netzach. Netzach means endurance, fortitude and ambition and is a combination of determination and tenacity. It is a balance of patience, persistence and guts. Endurance is also being reliable and accountable, which establishes…
Sefirat Ha’omer: WEEK 3 ― TIFERET ― HARMONY, COMPASSION. The PDF version of the complete guide to Counting the Omer, Sefirat Ha’omer, all 49 days, can be found here. During the third week of Sefirat Ha’omer, we examine the emotional attribute of Tiferet or compassion. Tiferet blends and harmonizes the free outpouring love of Chesed with the discipline of Gevurah.…
compiled by R. Rahmiel Drizin Download the PDF version of Food Meditations for Rosh HaShana. Grapes: Anavim intend to rectify the sin of Adam and Hava in the Tree of Daat which were grapes that were squeezed out and given to him…and be careful with this kavanot in detail at the time one is blessing. Also intend when eating to…
סֵפֶר בִּקוֹרַת בְּהֶמְתֶּךָ Sefer Bikorat Behem’techa by Rav Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin download PDF version of the book. We Sefardi Jews begin saying Selichot prayers on the 2nd of Elul, when Moshe was on Har Sinai receiving the second Luchot . The prevalent custom amongst Ashkenazic Jews, on the other hand, is to begin reciting Selichot /forgiveness prayers from the Sunday morning…
סֵפֶר בְּשֵּׁם הַשֵּׁם Sefer B’shem Hashem by Rav Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin and Rav Yitzchak Schwartz Download PDF version of the book. Gutt’s Nuhmen or ” Gott’s Nomen is Yiddish for “G-d’s Name.” For the ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur , we amend one of the passages in the Amidah prayer. Instead of saying “blessed are You…the holy G-d,”…
Welcoming the Shechinah Kiddush Levana or Blessing of the Moon (Birkat HaLevana) is seemingly small rabbinical mitzvah based on Talmud Sanhedrin: Rabbi Yohanan is quoted in the Gemara Sanhedrin 42a saying: “One who makes the blessing for the new moon in its proper time is considered as if he welcomed the ” Gemara is drawing a parallel between the physical moon…
WEEK 2 ― GEVURAH: JUSTICE, DISCIPLINE, RESTRAINT, AWE. The PDF version of the complete guide, all 49 days, can be found here. After the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people spent 49 days preparing for the most awesome experience in human history ― the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Just as the Jewish peoples’ redemption from Egypt…
The most well-known and helpful companion for counting the Omer is Rabbi Simon Jacobson’s guide. Guide to Personal Freedom has been published for many years and has been very helpful for me personally in making my Omer days count. This year (2015/5775) and the next (2016/5776), we have an amazing opportunity for super-charged days of Omer: When Pesach co-insides with…
Shalom! In this past week’s Torah portion, we learn how the name Yehudah, the origin of the word Yehudi or Jew, emanated: וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן, וַתֹּאמֶר הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶהאֶת-יְהוָה–עַל-כֵּן קָרְאָה שְׁמוֹ, יְהוּדָה; וַתַּעֲמֹד, מִלֶּדֶת. 35 And [Leah] conceived again, and bore a son; and she said: ‘This time will I give thanks to Hashem.’ Therefore she called his name Yehudah; and she left off bearing To be a Jew means…
Eating in Holiness: Pesach is the best time for correcting our eating. It is Pesach time and it is necessary to review the aspects of Eating b’Kedusha, Eating in Holiness. As Rav Tzadok HaKohen reveals (see the “Secret of Eating at the Seder” ), the main tikkun person can make for his lack of kedusha of eating during the whole year…
The new month of Nissan begins this Tuesday, March 12th, and with it our tradition to bless fruit trees in bloom. The 1-st of Nissan is also Rav Nahman of Breslov’s birthday – Please see this wonderful Blessing of the Trees from Breslov Israel, For how-to information and the kavanot please see the previous post by Rav Rahmiel Drizin: Blessing of…
Sefer uTemai’im beyad Tehorim Download PDF version. We are blessed here to offer our fifth workbook for the Holy days of Hanukah. Our title comes from the Al HaNissim prayer which we recite several times daily during the Holiday: You [Hashem] delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the wicked…
TiSha B’Av is often simplistically portrayed as the day when bad things happened to Jewish people throughout the history. If we examine the events more carefully, we can notice that we aren’t talking simply about negative things that happen out of blue. Tisha B’Av calamities happen on the aftermath of the tremendous opportunities we blew. The day that gave birth…