Omer Day Fifteen

Please do not say the phrase Day (Number) out loud, until you have completed the ritual below. If you say this phrase it is considered that you have "counted the Omer" without the appropriate Blessing and ritual and you lesson the energy involved.

Starting on the second day of Pesach which is the evening of the 16th day of Nissan begins the counting of the Omer. This ritual is part of the process of earning the Light of Shavuot, which is the Light of the Revelation of the Torah. This ritual helps you build your vessel in order to reveal the Light of the Torah.

This is a reminder to pick up your small package of salt. There is a Minhag of the Kabbalists to hold in their right hand a “little salt”. This action sweetens the period of the Omer since it acts as a protection shield in a number of ways. The Hebrew word for salt is Melach, the same letters as the shoresh for war. So salt acts as a vaccine against war during this time. Also the gematria of Melach is 78 which is 3 times the gematria of the Tetragrammaton. The 3 creates a protection shield for all three columns. Hint: There is no need to use new salt every day during the counting. Just put a little salt in a plastic bag. Then use this salt on your Shavuot Milk Meal Shavuot Morning. The energy of your vessel building is being inserted into the salt and will fulfill your vessel upon receiving the Torah Shavuot Morning.

The Seder (order) for the Sephirot HaOmer.

Night of April 20 2023 which is 30th of Nissan, which is Rosh Chodesh Iyar in the year תשׁפג

Please, say all of the below (if unable to read the Hebrew scan the Hebrew letters prior to saying the transliteration) while standing and facing East towards Jerusalem or the Rising of the Sun.

The traditional steps of the ritual are delineated as "traditional", prior to that step. The additional steps are delineated as additional, also prior to that step. It is recommended that you do all of the steps both traditional and additional each day. If time considerations are an issue then please do the traditional steps while doing the additional steps later when you do have the time.

It is best to do the ritual as close right after sundown (in the evening - when you can see three stars in the night sky) as possible. If one has forgotten to do one day and remembers to do so during the day then one should not say the Blessing which is step 3, but do the rest of the ritual. If one has forgotten to do one of the days, the Halacha says there is no way to make it up. I suggest that one make up the missed count without the Blessing (step 3) and then procede to continue the count with the appropriate count and Blessing. It is better to do the Mitzvah even partially then to stop doing it altogether.

We stand during this process of performing the ritual so that we can be available to draw the Light of Cleansing. When ever we sit in a process of prayer we are manifesting the energy of that particular prayer. An example of this is the saying of the Shema Israel. This draws the energy of Healing and thus we sit when saying this so that we may manifest that Light of Healing.

Step One of the Omer Ritual

Traditional

1. This step will cause your soul to knowingly do this Mitzvah with the proper Kavenah (intention).

Please say the following:

לשם יחוד קודשה בריך הוא ושכינתיה (יאהדונהי) בדחילו ורחימו (יאההויהה) ורחימו (איההיוהה) ודחילו ליחדה שם יוד הי בואו הי ביחודה שלים (יהוה) בשם כל ישראל הנה אנחנו באים לקיים מצות ספירת העומר לעשות נחת רוח ליוצרנוו ולעשות רצון בוראנו ויהי נעם אדני אלהנו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ימעשה ידינו כוננהו

Transliteration

Leshem Yechud Kudsha Berich Hu VeShekintay (יאהדונהי) Bidchilu Urchimu (יאההויהה) Urchimu Udchilu (איההיוהה) Leyachda Shem Yood Hay and Vav Hay Beyachuda Shalaim (יהוה) BeShem Kol Israel Henay Anachnu Ba'Aim Lekayaim Mitzvat Sephirat HaOmer. LaAsot Nachat Ruach LeYotzranu VeLaAsot Ratzon Boranu. Vayhi Noam Adonai Elohainu Alainu UmaAsay Yadainu Connah Alainu Yamaseh Yadainu Conanaihu.

Translation

For the sake of unification between the Holy Blessed One and His Shechinah, with fear and love and with Love and Fear, in order to unify the Name Yood Hay and Vav Hay in perfect unity, and in the Name of all Israel, we have hereby come to fulfill the commandment of the counting of the Omer. In order to give pleasure to our Maker and to fulfill the wish of our Creator. May the pleasantness of HaShem, our God, be upon us and may He establish the work of our hands for us and may the work of our hands establish Him.

Step 2. Here are some additional Verses to say or scan.

Traditional

תהלים TeHiLiM Psalms 138:8

יהוה יגמר בעדי יהוה חסדך לעולם מעשי ידיך אל-תרף

Transliteration

Adonai Yigmor BeAdi Adonai Chasdecha LeOlam MaAsay Yadicha El Teref.

Translation

The LORD will accomplish that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever; forsake not the work of Thine own hands.

תהלים TeHiLiM Psalms 57:3

אקרא לאלהים עליון לאל גמר עלי

Transliteration

Ehkrah LaiElohim Elyon LaEil Gomair Alai:

Translation

I will cry unto God Most high; unto God that accomplisheth it for me.

יחזקאל YeHeZKeL Ezekiel 16:6

ואעבר עליך ואראך מתבוססת בדמיך ואמר לך בדמיך חיי ואמר לך בדמיך חיי

Transliteration

VaEhEhVor AhLaYiech VaEhrAich MitBoSehSeht BeDaMaYich VayOmar Lach BeDaMaYich ChaYi VaOMaR Lach BeDaMaYich ChaYai:

Translation

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee wallowing in thy blood, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee: In thy blood, live;

תהלים TeHiLiM Psalms 104:1

ברכי נפשי את-יהוה יהוה אלהי גדלת מאד הוד והדר לבשת

Transliteration

Barki Nafshi Et Adonai Elohim Elohai Gadalta Meod Hod Vehadar LaVashta:

Translation

Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with glory and majesty.

תהלים TeHiLiM Psalms 104:2

עטה-אור כשלמה נוטה שמים כיריעה

Transliteration

Oteh Ohr Kasalma NoTeh Shamayim KaiRiAh:

Translation

Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;

Step 3. Say this Blessing which activates Surrounding Light or Ohr Makif.

Traditional - review the discussion above regarding when not to say this Blessing.

This link (below) teaches the Kavenah for all Blessings. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with this Kavenah and do this with every Blessing that you say. It will enhance your connection to the Creator.

ברוך אתה יהוה (יוד הא ואו הא) אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על ספירת העומר

Transliteration

Baruch Ata Adonai (יוד הא ואו הא)Ehlohainu Melech HaOLam Asher KidShanu BeMitzvotav Vetzivanu Al Sephirat HaOmer:

Translation

Blessed are You Hashem Our God, King of the Universe, Who set us aside in order to sanctify us with his Mitzvot and instructed us to Count the Omer (at this time).

Specific Kavenah to this Blessing.

Large Hebrew Letters above have a Gematria of 65 which is the same as Adonai, a Name of God relating to Malchut or manifestation. Malchut is our physical world.

Step 4. Saying the next Hebrew Statement is the actual "Counting of the Omer"

Traditional

The purpose of Counting the Omer is to climb the Tree of Life Sephira by Sephira, as well as to count up to the Day of Shavuot with anticipation. We actually count in three different ways. One is to count days. One is to count days of weeks and the third way is to count the Sephirot.

היום חמשה עשר יום לעומר שהם שני שבועות ויום אחד

Transliteration

HaYom Chamisha AhSaR Yom LaOmer SheHaim Shenai Shavuah Vyom Ehchad

Translation

Today is Day Fifteen of the Omer which is Week Two and Day One

Step 5. Ohr Penimi - Inner Light

Traditional

הרחמן הואיחזיר עבודת בית המקדש למקומה המהרה בימינו אמן

Transliteration

HaRachaman Hu YaChazeir Ahvodat Bait Hamikdash Limkomah Bimharah BeYamanu AMEN:

Translation

The Merciful One, He will return the Service of the Holy Temple to its place, speedily, in our days. And we all say Amen.

Step 6. Per the ARI (Rabbi Issac Luria) we utilize Psalm 67 in 2 specific ways to cleanse specific attributes of our character in order to elevate a specific Sephira. This Psalm is unique in that it has 7 verses with 49 words and the middle verse has 49 Letters. We will utilize a word each day (Large Bold Letters) during the counting and also a Letter (Large Bold Italic Letter) within the middle verse for spiritual cleansing. The more one learns about each Letter and Word the stronger, more thorough their cleansing will be. The cleansing of a specific character trait allows one to move higher (closer) to Hashem. This is called Building Your Vessel in Kabbalah.

Traditional

תהלים TeHiLiM Psalms 67

למנצח בנגינת מזמור שיר

Transliteration

LamnatzaAch BinGeNot Mizmor Shir:

Translation

Verse 1: For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm, a Song.

Kavenah

This first verse does not count as one of the 7 verses as it is describing the type of Psalm:

Verse 2

אלהים יחננו ויברכנו יאר פניו אתנו סלה

Transliteration

EloHim YaChaNanu VeVarkanu YaAir Panav ETanu Selah:

Translation

God be gracious unto us, and bless us; may He cause His face to shine toward us; Selah

לדעת בארץ דרכך בכל גוים ישועתך

Transliteration

LadaAt BaAretz Darkehcha Bekal Goyim YeShuAhTecha

Translation

That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations.

Verse 4

Kavenah

יודוך עמים אלהים יודוך עמים כלם

Transliteration

Yoducha Ahmim Elohim Yoducha Ahmim KuLam:

Translation

Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, O God; let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, all of them.

AhMiM is a word that means Nations or in the frame of Permutation it means Sea People or People of the Sea. In Torah Sea is a code word for Torah so that it can also be Nation or People of Torah. In what ways can you increase your traits that promote Torah Study? How can you motivate others to increase their Torah Study?

Verse 5

ישמחו וירננו לאמ י ם כי-תשפט עמים מישור ולאמים בארץ תנחם סלה

Transliteration

Yismechu Verannu LeUMiM Ki TeshPot AhMiM MiShor Ulumim BaAretz Tanchaim SELAH:

Translation

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou wilt judge the peoples with equity, and lead the nations upon earth. Selah

Kavanah

There are actually only 48 Letters in this verse not 49 as the ARI teaches. He adds one Italic Vav's to equal a total of 49 Letters. This is quite a common technique since the vowel itself is the Vav only the word is spelled incompletely and will change when the Mashiach arrives.

Yood is the First Letter of HaShem's Name and represents both the number 10 and 20. It represents in Kabbalah Direct Light and Returning Light. How can you increase your vessel by doing restriction. How do you understand restriction? How do you use restriction in your life today? How can you change yourself to use it more frequently?

Verse 6

יודוך עמים אלהים יודוך עמים כלם

Transliteration

Yoducha Ahmim Elohim Yoducha Ahmim KuLam:

Translation

Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, O God; let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, all of them.

Verse 7

ארץ נתנה יבולה יברכנו אלהים אלהינו

Transliteration

Ehretz Natnah Yevulah Yevarkanu Elohim Ehlohainu:

Translation

The earth hath yielded her increase; may God, our own God, bless us.

Verse 8

יברכנו אלהים וייראו אתו כל-אפסי-ארץ

Transliteration

Yevarkanu Elohim VeYeru Oto Kal Afsai Aretz:

Translation

May God bless us; and let all the ends of the earth fear Him.

Step 7: It is now time to say the Ana Bekoach which has 42 words (actually 49 - the seventh word in each verse is the word with all of the first letters of the other six words - they are printed at the end of the verse). This is the 4th cleansing tool that we will utilize tonight. The Letter that we will use tonight will be large and bolded. Stop and meditate on that Letter using the Kavenah written below the verse.

Traditional

Verse 1

Kavenah on First Verse

Meditation while saying the first verse of the Ana Bekoach is "unconditional Love". As well as removing the negative aspect of the physical world as well as the Power of Redemption.

Chesed - חסד

אנא בכח גדולת ימינך ת תיר צ רורה אבגיתץ

Transliteration

Tzerurah Tatir Yemincha Gedulat BeCoach Ana

7th word is pronounced Aleph Bet Gimmel Yood Taf Tzadi

Translation

Please - with Power - Greatness - Your Right Side - Releasing - Knot

Verse 2

Kavenah on Second Verse

Meditation while saying the second verse of the Ana Bekoach is "Tearing Up Satan" and "Guarding our Gates". Our gates (eyes, ear, nose, and mouth) are the entry point for the negative system.

Gevurah - גבורה

קבל רנת עמך שגבנו טהרנו נורה קרעשטן

Transliteration

Norah Taharenu Sagvenu Amcha Rinat Kabel

7th word is pronounced Koof Resh Ayin Sin Tet Nun

Translation

Awesome - Purified - Our Praise - Your People - Rejoicing - Receive

Kavenah

Verse 3

Kavenah on Third Verse

Meditation while saying the third verse of the Ana Bekoach is Parnassus and Sustenance and returning the energy that we gave away.

Tiferet - תפארת

נאגבור דורשי יחודך כבבת שמרםנגדיכש

Transliteration

Shamraim Cevavat YeChudecha Dorshai Gibor Na

7th word is pronounced Nun Gimmel Dalet Yood Caf Shin

Translation

Observe - Like a Letter Bet - Your uniqueness - Demand - Strengthen - Please

The Nun is a letter that has the consciousness of falling. Utilize it as a vaccine to prevent falling. How do you self destruct in your life? What trait changes can you make to prevent this self destruction?

Verse 4

Kavenah on fourth Verse

Meditation while saying the fourth verse of the Ana Bekoach is Eternal Victory and Acknowledgment

Netzach - נצח

ברכםטחרם רחמי צדקתך תמיד גמלםבתרצתג

Transliteration

Gamlaim Tamid Tzidkatecha Rachamai Tacharaim Barchaim

7th word is pronouncedBet Tet Resh Tzadi Taf Gimmel

Translation

Grant Them - Eternal - Righteous - Compassion - Purify Them - Bless Them

Verse 5

Kavenah on fifth Verse

Meditation while saying the fifth verse of the Ana Bekoach is Appreciation and Thankfulness

Hod - הוד

חסיןקדוש ברוב טובך נהל עדתךחקבטנע

Transliteration

Adatecha Nahail Toovcha Barchaim Kadosh Chasin

7th word is pronouncedChet Koof Bet Tet Nun Ayin

Translation

Your People - Govern - Goodness - Abundance - Holy - Invincible Your

Verse 6

Kavenah on sixth Verse

Meditation while saying the sixth verse of the Ana Bekoach is "spreading the wisdom of Kabbalah"

Yesod - יסוד

יחידגאהלעמך פנה זוכרי קדושתךיגלפזק

Transliteration

Kedushatecha Zochrai Penai Le-Amcha Ga-eh Yachid

7th word is pronouncedYood Gimmel Lamed Pey Zion Koof

Translation

Your Holiness - Remember - Turn - Your People - Proud - Unity

Verse 7

Kavenah on seventh Verse

Meditation while saying the seventh verse of the Ana Bekoach is "completion and perfection through / with Loving Kindness"

Malchut - מלכות

שועתנוקבלושמע צעקתנו יודעתעלומותשקוצית

Transliteration

Ta-Alumot Yodaya Tziakatanu Ooshmah Kabel Shavatanu

7th word is pronouncedShin Koof Vav Tzadi Yood Taf

Translation

Hidden - You Know - Our Wail - And Hear - Receive - Our Cry

Verse 8

This Verse is said "silently" in a whisper

Kavenah

This verse grounds any excess energy

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד

Transliteration

Va-Ed Le-Olam Malchuto Kevod Shem Baruch

Translation

Forever World Your Kingdom Honor Name Blessing

Step 8: The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the 42 stops that the Children of Israel made while in the desert for 40 years is a metaphor for the Stages of our Life and can also be used for the steps of any process. Here is the teaching by Rabbi Simon Jacobson expanding the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov by using modern psychology.

Additional

Fifteenth Journey - They left Chatzeroth and camped in Rithmah

Rithmah (also known as Kadesh Barne’a) was the place from where the spies were sent to scout out the Land of Israel. They returned with a slanderous report, defaming the land and causing panic amongst the Jewish people. Hence, the place was named Rithmah, which in Hebrew means “broom” – the term used to describe an evil tongue (Rashi. Rokeach writes that Rithmah is the gematria of “loshon (ho)ra”): “What can He give you, and what can He add to you, you deceitful tongue? Sharpened arrows of a mighty man, with coals of brooms (retomim)” (Psalms 120:3-4). Some say that many broom (rothem) trees grew in this place (Targum Yonasan). Brooms – like a deceitful tongue – are leafless and tolerate, and often thrive best in poor soils and growing conditions. In cultivation they need little care.

Meditation

Ritman when the letters are permutated can be translated as "What Tour". The spies had been instructed by Moshe to be tourist not spies. They can back as Spies. The question we need to ask ourselves is are we a spy or a tourist in the physical world because our physical world is not our home.

Step 9: We will now count the Sephirot as part of the "Counting of the Omer".

Please say the following in which ever language you prefer. Hebrew is recommended, due to the energy that it generates:

רבונו של עולם: אתה צויתנו על ידי משה עבדך לספור ספירת העומר כדי לטהרנו מקלפותנו ומטומאתנו כמו שכתבת בתורתך: וספרתם לכם ממחרת השכת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה: עד ממחרת השבת השביעת תספרו חמשים יום כדי שיטהרו נפשות עמך ישראל מזוהמתם: ובכן יהי רצון מלפניך יהוה אלהים ואלהי אבותינו שבסכות ספירת העומר שספרתי היום יתקן מה שפגמתי בספירה

Transliteration

Ribono Shel Olam, Ata Tzivitanu All Ydi Moshe Avdecha LiSPor Sepherot HaOMeR KeDai LetaHaRaiNu MiklePoTaNu UMTuMATaiNu KiMo ShKaTaVTa BeToRaTach: USPaRTaM LaChem MimCHaRaT HaSHaBaT MeYoM HaVeAhCHeM ET OMeR HaTeNuFah SheVa SheBaToT TeMiMoT Te'YeNa: MiMaCHaRaT HaSHaBaT HaSHVeIT TeSaFRU CHaMiSHiM YoM KeDai SHeYeTaHaRu NaFSHoT AhMCHa YiSRaEL MeZoHaMaTaM: UVCHaiN YeHi RaTZoN MilFaNeCHa HaShem ELoHaNu ELoHai AVoTaNu SheBiZKuT SeFiRuT HaOMeR SHeSeFaRTi HaYoM YeTuKaN Ma SHePaGaMTe BeSePHeRa

Translation

Master of the World, You have Commanded us through Moshe Your Sevant to enumerate the counting of the Omer, in order to purify us from the Klipot and ou defilements. This is as it is written in Your Torah: And you shall count for yourselves, from the day following the Shabbat, from the day on which you bring the portion of your wave offering, there shall be 7 complete weeks, until the day following the seventh week. You shall count 50 days so that the spirits of your Nation Israel shall be purified from their defilements (Leviticus 23:15-16): Therefore may it be pleasing before you HaShem our God and the God of our ForeFathers, that by virtue of the Counting of the Omer, that i have counted today, the flow that i have caused in the Sefirah of

Kavenah and Actual Counting

חסד שבתפארת

Transliteration

Chesed Shebe Tiferet

Translation

Loving Kindness of Balance

Instruction and Kavenah for meditation

After saying the above phrase, (which is the actual counting of the Sephira) STOP and meditate on what is the meaning of this phrase. Here are some attributes that will help you. Realize that this list is not complete.

Loving Kindness, Love, generosity and expansiveness

Chesed is the expansion of love into the universe.

This week is in the frame of Tiferet. Tiferet has attributes of compassion, beauty, balance and truth.

Continue to finish the paragraph as follows:

ואטהר ואתקדש בקדשה של מעלה אמן סלה

Transliteration

VeTaHaiR VeETKaDeSH BeKDuSHa SHeL MaALa Amein SeLah:

Translation

will be corrected and i shall be purified and sanctified with supernal sanctity, AMEN SELAH:

You have now finished the Traditional Counting of the Omer. Please continue as the additional sections will help you to build your vessel to receive the Light of the Torah which is revealed on Shavuot.

Step 10: Each day of the year there are Tzadikim (Righteous People) who have chosen to leave this world on a particular day. There is a connection between these souls and this day. They ask us to utilize their connection to Hashem, to strengthen our own connection to Hashem, and to our spiritual actions during this day.

The more one learns about a particular Tzadik, the better is ones connection to their channel ability. All these actions are bringing us closer to Hashem.

Historically Birthdays have not been celebrated by the Jewish World until the last 200 - 300 years. Kabbalah teaches that the Birthdate represent the Keter or potential of the Soul while the Death Anniversary or Hilula represents the actual accomplishments of the Soul. While the Hilula is the stronger of the two from our perspective we can also utilize the Birth Date of a Tzadik to assist us in our spiritual connection.

Step 11: Rabbi Chaim Drizin (zoharialev@aol.com) teaches that there is a correlation between the Sephira we just counted and the 55 Prophets from the Book of Prophets in the Tanach. By studying the verses that were channeled to US through these male and female Prophets we enhance our connection to the Sephira and continue to build our vessel.

Rabbi Drizin teaches that the Prophet associated with Chesed SheBeTiferet is Shemaya the Man of Elohim.

Below are a few verses and it is our intention to add more verses as time permits.

First Kings Chapter 12 Verse 22

ויהי דבר האלהים אל-שמעיה איש-האלהים לאמר

Transliteration

to be done later

Translation

But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying:

There is a modern commentary that connects 49 WOMEN mentioned in the Tanach to the 49 Days of the Omer. The woment connected to Chesed SheBe Tiferet are Shifrah and Puah, the midwives in Egypt.

Shifrah and Puah are two hardworking midwives who help Hebrew slaves deliver babies in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh commands them to kill every Hebrew baby boy they deliver, while letting the girls live. Shifrah and Puah show compassion to the Hebrew mothers and their children, and they do not kill the male babies. Because of the compassion they show, God rewards them. The book of exodus says: “God built them houses.” This may mean they bore many children. Or, one modern interpretation of this verse is that God made schools of midwifery for them so that they could pass on their heroic values!

Some traditional legends say that Shifrah and Puah are Yocheved and Miriam, the mother and sister of Moses. Other sources, both ancient and modern, imagine Shifrah and Puah as Egyptian women who believe in righteousness and who act to preserve the lives of others because it is the right thing to do. They are truly exemplars of chesed shebe’tiferet, and we are like them when they do acts of love born from compassion. The day of chesed shebe’tiferet is also Rosh Chodesh, the new moon. The new moon is a symbol of rebirth— appropriate to two midwives who help to birth the Hebrew slaves into a free people.

Additional

Step 12: Here is some additional insights into the consciousness of Chesed She BeTiferet from Rabbi Drizin, as well as some additional thoughts from Chanoch

Kevenah about Chesed She Be Tiferet

Reading these will help to grow your vessel. Meditation using these letters of חסד שבתפארת after reading the Kavenah will also be beneficial.

Gematria

Chesed SheBe Tiferet has a external gematria of 1455. 1455 is 1000 + 455. 1000 is an Aleph and represents unity. 455 is also the gematria of the Hebrew word for giving. Giving obviously relates to Loving Kindness and Compassion.

Step 13: The Pirkei Avot teaches 48 ways to ACQUIRE TORAH

The Fifteenth method to Acquire the Torah taught in the Pirke Avot Chapter 6 is by "limiting ones sleep".

How is it possible Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman and Rav Chaim Kanievsky barely sleep a few hours a night, but the day that I sleep under 5 hours I get sick? Sleep is public enemy number one to any serious minded person. Sleep is called Ilana D' Mosa, the tree of death. Life is about accomplishing. When you sleep you can accomplish absolutely nothing. Children understand this very well, which is why putting them to sleep is so difficult. Would you lay down in your grave based on a promise that tomorrow you can play again?

The Alter of Novhardok asks how can you expect to become a Talmid Chochom if you are not willing to give up even one night of sleep a week. Rav Yisroel Salanter was known to have said that every Yid want to know Shas... but in one day. And that day he wants to sleep eight hours!

So getting back to our question how do our frail gedolim manage and why can't we? The answer may lie in the fact that it is our neshama that gives life to our body. That's why as soon as the neshama leaves are bodies, we lay lifeless with no ability to perform any function. Our strength is not derived from the spinach or wheaties that we eat. It is from our toil in torah and mitzvos. This may sound scientifically silly but look at the facts. Great gedolim can live a century without much food, sleep, or exercise. Amazing how the life expectancy years ago didn't top 40 but our gedolim lived past 70,80, 90 years.

Maybe in our weakened state rather than getting sick trying to sleep less, before we ask Hashem to give us superhuman strength to go on three hours a night, we probably need to fully utilize our waking hours in order to strengthen our weakened neshamos. Wasting time on the wrong activities is no better than the death of sleeping. In fact the Chofetz Chaim says that if you are going to waste your time on Rosh Hashana afternoon you may as well go to sleep since at least you will wake up refreshed.

Out of all the sleeping stories we need to choose one so I will share with you this one very briefly. One night at 3 am, the Netziv, who was then an old man, called for his granddaughter's husband and co-Rosh Yeshiva of Volzhin, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik. Rav Chaim ran nervously worried if the Netziv was okay. When he got there he saw the Netziv sitting near a table piled with seforim. The Netziv wanted to show him proof to something they had argued out the previous day. Rav Chaim told him to please give him a minute to say Birchas HaTorah since he just woke up. Hearing this the Netziv burst out in tears, crying what will be with this young generation? It is already 3 am and you haven't yet said Birchas HaTorah!?!

Please consider the message in this way of obtaining Torah. It works and contrary to scientific teachings is healthy.

Step 14 - The 49 letters of Shema Israel

שמ ע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד

ברוך שם כבודמלכותו לעולם ועד

The letter Vav means Hook as a word. What have you hooked onto your life. Is it positive additions or negative burdens. How can you change the result using the hook in the future?

There will be more added to this section in coming years.

Praying for the Bet Hamikdash After Counting the Omer

The Sha’ar Hakavanot (collection of Kabbalistic teachings) writes that after one counts the Omer – meaning, after reciting the Beracha and then counting that day’s number – one should offer a prayer for the rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash. The text of this prayer is, “Harahaman Hu Yahazir Abodat Bet Hamikdash Limkomah Bimhera Beyamenu Amen” (“The Merciful One shall restore the service of the Temple to its place, speedily and in our days, Amen”).

The reason for this practice is that according to most Halachic authorities, the Misva of counting the Omer applies nowadays Mi’de’rabbanan – by force of Rabbinic enactment – as opposed to Torah law. The Torah obligation of Sefirat Ha’omer applied only in the times of the Bet Hamikdash, when we offered the special Omer sacrifice, whereas nowadays, in the absence of Bet Hamikdash, when we cannot bring this offering, our counting is only commemorative. Therefore, after we count the Omer each night, we pray to God to rebuild the Bet Hamikdash so we can offer the Korban Ha’omer, and then we will be able to count in fulfillment of the actual Misva. And even according to those authorities (such as the Rambam) who maintained that Sefirat Ha’omer is required by Torah law nowadays, we offer a prayer that the Temple will be rebuilt so we can offer the Korban Ha’omer.

This also answers the question addressed by the Halachic authorities as to why we do not recite the Beracha of “Shehehiyanu” the first time we count the Omer each year. As we know, whenever we perform a Misva that presents itself on infrequent occasions, we recite the Beracha of “Shehehiyanu.” Seemingly, this should apply to Sefirat Ha’omer, as well, yet Halacha does not require reciting this Beracha before the counting of the Omer. The reason is that when we count the Omer, we are mindful of the fact that we count only as a commemoration of the actual Misva, which we cannot fulfill in its true form due to the absence of the Bet Hamikdash. The counting of the Omer thus evokes a degree of sorrow, and does not warrant the recitation of the festive “Shehehiyanu” blessing.