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 the16th 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.
Night of April 13 2023 which is 23rd of Nissan in the year התשׁפג
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.
Traditional
1. This step will cause your soul to knowingly do this Mitzvah with the proper Kavenah (intention).
Please say the following:
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 Hey and Vav Hey 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
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
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
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
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
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.
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 Sefirah by Sefira, 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. Today we only count in two ways. This is because of the unity expressed in the number ONE.
Transliteration
HaYom Shemonah Yamim LaOmer SheHaim Shavuah Echad Veyom Echad
Translation
Today is Day Shemonah of the Omer
Step 5. Ohr Penimi - Inner Light
Traditional
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
Transliteration
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
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
Transliteration
LadaAt BaAretz Darkehcha Bekal Goyim YeShuAhTecha
Translation
That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations.
Adam Knew Eve and She became Pregnant! (Beraishit). The Zohar asks "Did they have phsyical intercourse? and answers Yes. So Why does the Torah use "to know" or another possible translation of LaDaAT is to Teach Knowledge. The Zohar answers that Knowledge is the Connection. Who do you find it hardest to connect to? How can you change yourself to make that connection. Consider this teaching from the Baal Shem Tov. The person to which you have the most difficulty has sparks of your soul that you need to redeem/correct. How will you go about this Redemption? How can God Redeem you if you are not in the process of redeeming yourself?
Verse 4
Kavenah
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 5
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.
The Letter Yood is the First Letter of the Name of HaShem. It has a Gematria of 10 or 20 when fully spelled out Yood Vav Dalet. What character attribute do you think the Yood will cleanse? When its gematria is 10 it represents the 10 Sefirot in unity. When it is 20 it is the 10 Sefirot of direct light and the 10 Sefirot of returning light. This is similar to a Torah Shekel which is made up of 20 Gerar. This Yood can be used to improve your relationships and your sharing with the people within your relationships. Think about one person that you would like to bring closer to HaShem. In what way will changing yourself accomplish that goal? How are you going to go about that today? Do you truly want to bring that person you are thinking about closer to HaShem? Then go the extra mile to change yourself.
Verse 6
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
Transliteration
Ehretz Natnah Yevulah Yevarkanu Elohim Ehlohainu:
Translation
The earth hath yielded her increase; may God, our own God, bless us.
Verse 8
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.
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.
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
Koof is a letter that is referred to as the double agent because it feeds the Negative side due to its leg going below the "scribes" line in the Torah. Koof is a word that means Monkey. The Monkey, according to the Kabbalists, has aspects of the speaking world as well as the animal world. How will you use the Koof to seperate yourself from the animal and elevate yourself into the "speaking world?"
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.
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
Verse 4
Kavenah on fourth Verse
Meditation while saying the fourth verse of the Ana Bekoach is Eternal Victory and Acknowledgment
Transliteration
Gamlaim Tamid Tzidkatecha Rachamai Tacharaim Barchaim
7th word is pronouncedBet Tet Resh Tzadi Tav 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
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"
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"
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
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
Eighth Journey - They left the Red Sea and camped in the Sin Desert
This Journey is connected to the Koof of the Second Verse of the Ana Bekoach.
But the journey to the Promised Land must continue through the difficult wilderness. And despite moments of respite, we will move on from the “Red Sea” to face new challenges of the Desert. The next few journeys reflect different, accelerating adversarial situations which will test our faith throughout our lives. The Sin Desert represents the stage in life when we have our first crisis of faith, especially around the struggle to earn a livelihood. When the people arrived at Sin Desert (Iyar 15) they ran out of the food that they had brought with them from Egypt. They thus began to complain “If only we had died in Egypt! There at least we could sit by pots of meat and eat our fill of bread! But you had to bring us out to this desert, to kill the entire community by starvation!” The Divine response was to provide them daily with manna, “bread from heaven” and meat – which would last through the remaining 34 journeys. The manna teaches us that livelihood is a blessing from above; we must do our part, but ultimately we need to have faith and trust and especially certainty that Divine Providence will provide for our sustenance.
Meditation
One of the 72 Names connects directly to Parnasa and Sustenance. It is Pey Alef Yood.
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
Transliteration
Chesed Shebe Gevurah
Translation
Loving Kindness of Judgment
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.
Judgment, Severity, Power, Strength, Concealment, Darkness
This week is in the frame of Gevurah. How does one Expand Power? How does one improve ones strength? How does one conceal Severity and Judgment? How does one bring the essence of Loving Kindness to bear in the frame of Judgment
Continue to finish the paragraph as follows:
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 SheBeGevurah is Elkanah the father of the Prophet Samual. Elkanah is also the Husband of Chanah who taught the Sages how to structure Prayer to the Creator.
Below are a few verses and it is our intention to add more verses as time permits.
This verse will be added later.
Transliteration
to be done later
Translation
We can understand Elkanah's relationship to Chesed SheBe Gevurah by learning that his name can be translated as the Arm of Kel (God). Also the name can be translated as the acquiring of Kel (God).
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 Gevurah is Chava our Mother Eve. Here is some information and commentary about her:
Chava made a mistake accepting the words of Loshan Harah from the Snake. Yet actually it is Hashem himself who left Adam and Chava unprotected within the Garden who is ultimately the cause of this Fall. There are some Kabbalists who take this teaching to be that Adam and Chava who were not physical people until after the fall did not truly have free will.
We honor Chava by living as Chava is the Mother of All Living Beings.
Additional
Step 12: Here is some additional insights into the consciousness of Chesed She BeGevurah from Rabbi Drizin, as well as some additional thoughts from Chanoch
Kevenah about Chesed She Be Gevurah
Reading these will help to grow your vessel. Meditation using these letters of חסד שבגבורה after reading the Kavenah will also be beneficial.
Gematria
Chesed SheBe Gevurah has a external gematria of 590 . The Hebrew word Sheretz which means "to bring forth abundantly" is a clear connection to Chesed She Be Gevurah. This is due to the Kabbalist teaching that procreation comes from the Left column which in the Physical World is represented by Gevurah, and the idea of Abundance is directly conneced to Chesed.
All this week contemplate the meaning of Gevurah using these descriptions
Gevurah represents Judgment, Power, Setting Boundaries, Procreation, and Severity.
Step 13: The Pirkei Avot teaches 48 ways to ACQUIRE TORAH
The Eighth method to Acquire the Torah taught in the Pirke Avot Chapter 6 is by Joy.
The Sefer Chareidim says that Arizal said that all that he has achieved in life i Ruach HaKodesh and having the gates of wisdom opened to him was all a reward for doing mitzvos with simcha (Joy).
Chazal tell us "Ein HaShechina Shoreh Ela Mitoch Simcha", the Shechina does not rest on a person unless he is B'Simcha. When you have the Shechina with you, you have everything. When ofyou don't then you are on your own and there is not much that you can accomplish.
In the world of gashmiyus we toil night and day to achieve a few shining moments in an entire lifetime. If you are smart enough to understand what really counts and ruchniyus is the object of your pursuit, you are very fortunate. You can lead a life of perpetual delight. And when you do, you achieve even more happiness, both in this world and the next.
There will be more added to this section in coming years.
Have you considered a strategy and practice to be Happy no matter what occurs. If you decide to follow that course you will find the practice of faking joy will eventually leand you to become Joyful.
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