Counting the Omer 5783

 The period between Passover and Shavuot is a time for introspection and a good opportunity to work on character development as we move from the Exodus from Egypt to receiving the Torah. As in the past, the Life Is Like a Library reading list for these 49 days is a combination of Jewish and secular books. 

In Dance of the Omer: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Transformational Journey of Sefirat Ha'Omer (Mystical Skeptics Publishers, 2021), Rav Benji Elson presents the daily and weekly count as "a journey and process that follows the Waters of Eden as they flow out from the Garden, transform in the processes of precipitation, and ultimately, become the plants of the Garden -- this planet -- and the wheat of the Omer grains themselves. The Dance of the Omer, then, is a transformational 'movement' that mirrors the natural cycles involved in the growth of Life and in the growth of the Omer Offering itself." 

There are many "layers" to this dance. For each week, Elson presents the form of water (River, Sea, Storms, etc.) as well as the corresponding blessing from the Amidah, the Hebrew vowel sound, the type of song, the color, the direction (North, South, etc.), the element (Water, Air, Earth, Fire), the Archetype, and the Prophetess. There are meditations and visualization practices. For each day, there is a discussion of the power of that day, a practice, and a suggestion to apply what was discussed about the day. 

To be honest, there is a lot of metaphor and non-standard practice that is not my cup of tea. But the book provides a lot of information, and the metaphor of water flowing and changing works well to emphasize that we should also be building upon the days of the Omer, noticing the natural flow of life, and hopefully applying what we learn all-year round.

The New York Times Bestseller Atomic Habits by James Clear is a perfect book for the Omer. Don't think "atomic," as in Atomic Bomb blowing up things. Think "atomic" in terms of the atom -- "the smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically charged particles." Tiny changes can lead to remarkable results. 

Why this book is so great is because, according to Clear, when you look at your habits, you don't want to think in the short term. 

THERE ARE NOT GOOD HABITS OR BAD HABITS. THERE ARE ONLY EFFECTIVE HABITS.

(This reminded me of one of the tenets of character development: there are no "good" character traits or "bad" character traits. The challenge is to have them in balance, with appropriate traits in appropriate situations).

You have to ask yourself:

DOES THIS BEHAVIOR HELP ME BECOME THE TYPE OF PERSON I WISH TO BE?

DOES THIS HABIT CAST A VOTE FOR OR AGAINST MY DESIRED IDENTITY?

Exactly what we should be thinking about as we count the Omer. Highly recommended reading for everyone, the young the better, so you can develop and maintain good habits and break bad habits early. 

As for the Real Cats of Israel, sometimes you just need to take a nap on a bookcase:

Happy Reading!