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Counting the Omer is never just ascending or just descending. It
must be a combination of both. Such that, the higher we are able to go up as a
result of the illumination that we received on Pesach, the more powerful the
light that we will be able to bring down into the seemingly mundane details of
our lives. And the more powerful the light that we are able to bring down into
the seemingly mundane details of our lives, the more we reveal the presence of
G-dliness in the mundane, the more we elevate and raise ourselves and the entire
universe back up to G-d. And the more we can elevate ourselves, the higher the
light we can bring down.  | | " The process culminates in bringing down such a powerful light that it will...transform all physicality...." | | |
Eventually, the process culminates in bringing down such a
powerful light that it will irradiate the entire world, and transform all
physicality, all that seems separate from G-dliness, into spirit.
This is hinted at in the Talmud: "Bar Kappara expounded: The
works of the righteous are greater than G-d's creation of heaven and earth!" (Ketuvot
5a) What is meant by "the work of man's hands"? It is man's ability to see
through the facade of matter, to grasp the existence of the Infinite Creator
behind Creation, to connect to Him, to embody His attributes, to play a part in
His Drama, to lift the entire world back up to Him as an offering.
In other places, this is referred to as the transformation of
the word "or", spelled with the letter ayin - meaning "skin" (or
relating to physicality) to "or" spelled with an alef - meaning
"light" (relating to spirituality).
When G-d makes the world, it involves a process of descent from
spirit to "energy" (Light) to "matter" (Skin). When we see through the facade of
matter to the internal level of spirit that gives it its existence, we elevate
"matter" (Skin) back to its "energy source" (Light).
This idea [that we must be the ones who are instrumental in
irradiating all reality with the light of G-dliness] is embodied in the
celebration of Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, in
honor of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, by lighting candles and bonfires, and learning
Zohar. In the Zohar, Rabbi Shimon revealed the deepest secrets of the Torah, the
secret of transforming physicality ("or" with an ayin) into spirit
("or"with an alef). | | " From Lag BaOmer onwards...the Hidden Light of the Torah that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed in the Zohar begins to shine down into our lives...." | | |
Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov (Bnei Yissasschar,
Chodesh Iyar, Maamar 3) explains the Mishnah in Avot 2:9,
where Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai asks his students: What is the straight path
[i.e. the most important way for a person to walk and live in this world]? Rabbi
Eliezer answers, "ayin tov" ["a good eye"]; Rabbi Yehoshua
answers, "chaver tov" ["a good friend"]; Rabbi Yossi answers, "shachen
tov" ["a good neighbor"]; Rabbi Shimon answers, "ha'roeh et ha'nolad"
[the ability to see the consequences of one's actions]; Rabbi Elazar ben Arach
answers, "lev tov" ["a good heart"]; Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai praises
them all but says that Rabbi Elazar ben Arach's answer includes all of theirs.
B'nei Yisaschar explains why "lev tov"/"a good
heart", is so important. He mentions that the numerical value of "lev"
("heart") is 32, while that of "tov" ("good") is 17. He emphasizes the
deep teaching from the Zohar on the fourth verse in the Torah, "G-d saw the
light ('or') that it was good ('tov'), and G-d
separated between the light and the darkness" (Gen. 1:4), that "tov" is a
codeword for "or", i.e. the "Or HaGanuz", the infinite Hidden
Light concealed in the Torah.
He notes that the first time the word "tov" is mentioned
in the Torah is in this fourth verse, following exactly after 32 words (it is
the 33rd word of the Torah). He continues explaining that the 49 days of the
Omer divide neatly into 32 days building up to Lag BaOmer, and 17 days from Lag
BaOmer. The meaning of "lev tov" in terms of the Omer, he says, is the
refining of the human heart, i.e. the purification of the human personality, the
character traits which each of us is given when we are born.
This is exactly what happened when we departed Egypt on Pesach.
We counted 49 days in order to purify our hearts so that we could receive the
Torah at Sinai "as one man with one heart" ( Rashi, Ex. 19:2).
The same is true every year. We count 49 days (i.e. we do the
internalization work of purifying and refining our hearts) in order to receive
the Torah on Shavuot. This is especially true from Lag BaOmer onwards. Lag
BaOmer is the transition into the last 17 (= "tov", "good") days of the
Omer because, on it, the Hidden Light of the Torah that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
revealed in the Zohar begins to shine down into our lives. | | " Only with the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Shimon do things lighten up...." | | |
This division of 49 into 32 and 17 is not at all arbitrary. With
the exception of the first week of Pesach itself, the first 32 days of the Omer
are known to be extremely difficult. Only with the anniversary of the passing of
Rabbi Shimon do things lighten up and become increasing more joyous as we move
through the 17 intervening "good" days closer and closer to our goal: the
revelation of the light of Ein Sof all the down into malchut of
malchut on Shavuot.
Actually, there is a paradox here.
Imagine you are climbing towards the peak of an extremely tall
mountain. Your goal is the peak, but something happens as you approach it. It
becomes hidden from our eyes! In a strange way, you actually lose sight of your
goal as you approach it. In addition, the terrain becomes much more rugged, and
the climbing gets rougher. In addition, the air becomes extremely rarified, so
that it becomes harder and harder to breathe. You need to stop more often. It
even feels like the force of gravity is stronger. As a result, you move much
more slowly. In order to offset all of these obstacles, you need to psyche
yourself up that you are closer than ever. Look how far you've come! Now is not
the time to give up!
Leaving Egypt and moving up towards Mount Sinai is like climbing
this mountain. At one point, the original impetus you got from the light that
shone on Pesach is not enough. Something, some inspiration has to come not from
the past, but from up ahead. And yet, as you move up the mountain, the going
gets rougher. If not for the light at the top of the mountain shining down into
our souls, raising us up, pulling us to Itself, we would have no chance of
making it.
Let's face it; there is only so much we can do. We are limited.
Without supernatural assistance from Above, we could never attain the goal. Yes,
it is important that we do all we can, for human effort is essential, but there
is a point beyond which our actions are ineffectual. | | " The most important and essential ingredient needed on our part is humility...." | | |
Why does it have to be this way? Because if we are really
serious about refining and elevating ourselves, perhaps the most important and
essential ingredient needed on our part is humility. Yes, we are to do
the work, but at one point it has to dawn on us that our ability to do anything
is a gift from G-d.
If we get this important point, internalize this important
lesson, then, all of a sudden, the obstacles are not so great. We start
acclimating to these rarified heights and realizing that we weren't ever really
alive till this moment. The exhilaration is overwhelming. The joy is
intoxicating. We are getting closer! Now, after 49 days, when G-d shines His
infinite light down into us, it is totally different. Not because of us or
Him, but because, in His Perfect Wisdom, and out of His Infinite Love for us, He
gives us a taste of the perfect combination of Him and us, of Him working
through us, of us knowing that it is totally Him. We needed 49 days to get it,
but wow was it worth it. | | " The essence of the Omer period is the work we must do to internalize the light of Ein Sof...." | | |
Every year, Lag BaOmer is the transition into the last 17 (= "tov",
"good") days of the Omer because, on it, the Hidden Light of the Torah that
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai only partially revealed in the Zohar begins to shine
down into our lives. This illumination is even more powerful as we approach the
End of History as we know it. In order to overcome the forces of divisiveness
that will try to prevent us from arriving at the ultimate Sinai that stands at
the end of our desert journey through history, the Hidden Light is shining down
into our souls more and more strongly. G-d is lifting us up towards Himself. We
just have to realize it, especially at this crucial time when some of our
greatest tzadikim are passing on. As they gather Above to stand together
with all the greats of the past, to work together to bring the final Redemption,
we too much awaken from the dream of This-World consciousness, see through it,
and fulfill the purpose for which we have been born at this time.
So, again, the essence of the Omer period is the work we must do
to internalize the light of Ein Sof that we experienced momentarily on
Pesach, in order to refine ourselves from below during the 49 intervening days
between Pesach and Shavuot. Then, on the 50th day, a day which is beyond
counting, beyond our ability to attain on our own, the light shines down again
in all its fullness. This time, however, we want to prepare the vessels to
receive it properly.
[Copyright 2006 Avraham Sutton]
Click here to return to Counting Up and Down: Part Two.
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