Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide by Rabbi Min Kantrowitz (2009)
April 5, 2012
A comprehensive guide that includes meditations on the Four Worlds each day in addition to moving through the sefirot. Extensive background information as well as daily exercises. Thorough and beautiful. Rabbi Min Kantrowitz is the Director of the Jewish Community Chaplaincy Program of Jewish Family Service of New Mexico, which provides spiritual support and pastoral care services to thousands of unaffiliated Jews. Rabbi Kantrowitz also directs the Albuquerque Community Chevre Kaddisha, facilitates grief support groups and conducts Healing Groups for Jewish survivors of domestic abuse. She received her Rabbinic Ordination in May 2004 from the Academy of Jewish Religion in Los Angeles. In addition, she holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Masters Degrees in Psychology, Architecture, and Rabbinic Studies, as well as a Masters of Science in Jewish Studies.
Welcome to Omer Harvest!
.
Linking together the harvest festivals of Passover and Shavuot is the seven-week period of Sefirat Ha’Omer (Counting the Omer).
.
In the Jewish mystical tradition, each day of the Omer period represents a combination of qualities, drawing from the seven lower sefirot of the Tree of Life:
• Chesed (Outpouring of Lovingkindness)
• Gevurah (Strength/Discipline)
• Tiferet (Beauty/Harmony/Compassion)
• Netzach (Endurance/Perseverance)
• Hod (Humility/Splendor/Awe)
• Yesod (Bonding/Foundation)
• Malchut (Majesty)
.
Another model draws from the Hebrew Aboriginal Medicine Wheel and uses the seven directions:
• South (Inner Clarity/Essential Self)
• North (Vision/Mystery)
• East (Balance)
• Above (Essential/Universal)
• Below (Rootedness)
• West (Blending)
• Center (Fullness)
.
In both traditions, each of these qualities correlates with each week of the Omer period, as well as with each day of the week. In this way, there are 49 different combinations of qualities over the seven-week Omer period, offering great encouragement for deep personal introspection and exploration.
.
In Hebrew, ‘hiddur’ means to make beautiful and there is a longstanding tradition of hiddur mitzvah–beautifying a mitzvah–going beyond what is required to perform a mitzvah by infusing our spiritual practice with beauty. Embellishing and adorning ritual objects (such as challah coverings, kiddish cups, seder plates, menorahs, etc.) can enhance and beautify our experience of ritual, and beauty itself then takes on a spiritual dimension.
.
Omer Harvest is my offering to celebrate the practice of Hiddur Sefirat Ha’Omer–beautifying the counting of the Omer!
.
Over the last years, there has been growing interest in exploring creative ways to count the Omer. In addition to many new insightful books and comprehensive guides, people have been using beads, painting, quilting, poetry, chanting, yoga and so much more to fully embody and beautify their journeys through the Omer period.
.
It is my hope that Omer Harvest will offer support, encouragement and inspiration to individuals and communities drawn to explore new ways of embodying and beautifying the practice of Counting the Omer. I can’t wait to see your artistic offerings and to include them in our Omer Harvest!
.
With great anticipation,
Yael Raff Peskin