May 2, 2014
This is the time of year for the Counting of the Omer: the 49 day period from the second night of Pesach until Shavuot. It is a time of reflection on how we behave in our daily lives and a time for refining our vessels to become clearer channels for Divine Light to flow into the world. Each week we focus on one of the seven lower midot (the Divine Attributes: Hesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malkhut), and each day within the week we seek to sanctify one of the seven facets of the midah for that specific week.
Yesterday was Rosh Hodesh Iyar, the beginning of the Hebrew month devoted to healing. It was also the 16th day of the Omer count (2 weeks and 2 days into the counting), the day set aside to pray for the removal any encrustations covering our ability to fully manifest Gevurah sh'b'Tiferet (Strength within Harmony). I decided that it was an opportune day for my husband to videotape me while I shared some of the ways I count the Omer using the movements of Otiyot Hayyot, and particularly the movements for the nikudot, each of which corresponds to a specific sefirah on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, which is a mapping of the ten Divine Attributes which humans, as created beings formed in the image of HaShem, try to emulate. The full descriptions of how to do the movements for the nikudot are under the title Otiyot Hayyot on this blog: http://yehuditgoldfarb.blogspot.co.il/p/otiyot-hayyot.html. A video of me performing the movements for the entire Tree of Life, from Keter to Malkhut, can be viewed on my channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjrxaCnfIQk.
For some reason I encounter an error every time I try to upload to my blog the new video of me sharing the movements for Gevurah sh'b'Tiferet. This new video includes the movements for the nikudot which can be performed while reciting the blessing which is said before doing any mitzvah. So until I can resolve this technical issue, please write to me at maorhalev@gmail.com if you want to see the video, and I will send it to you. Since the video was taken in a courtyard not far from a busy street in Tzfat, you may need to use earphones to hear clearly what I have to share.
