Day Two of Week 4: Gevurah of Netzach

Thank you rabbi for sharing your insights on Counting the Omer. I'm always amazed to realize how the 10 sephirot are at the heart of creation and how we have to work to balance each side of the tree of life to access a meaningful life to take your words. As you say it is a sort of soul workshop and I enjoy reflecting on the exercises you give each day. I love the idea of exercising our souls instead of the body. It makes me reflect on my behavior and how I can refine myself for me, the others and the world. Reply

Had to decide that people will always make mistakes, and we need to accept it and just trust Hashem to change people and situations. Reply

Our thoughts and words The toughest habit we will ever overcome is negative thinking and speaking. Today I focus on speaking positive and not just restraining my thoughts but fhanging them to the truth in love so that out of my heart will flow rivers of living water. Reply

Thank you for your perspective Reply

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms My endurance comes from HaShem and Him only. In man is no strength but an unquenchable need to trust more and more in HaShem. Reply

Questions upon questions Initially I was quite eager and awaited each new installment of the Omer meditation and exercise. But I must admit that I am growing weary of the excessive use of questions at the end of the meditation. I recognize the need we all have to question our motives and realize how these questions might be of use in self-analysis, but after the first two or three questions I tire of even reading them. Reply

roots I find it fascinating that we look at roots, strength, and endurance together. If you consider a plant, a root cannot endure without strength. I do think that endurance, however is a long-term thing and not about breaking a habit. I also consider that a root needs to be planted in nourishing soil. Our roots here are in Gevurah and Netzach. It makes sense that the fruit of such planting would be positive action. We need to look to see where we plant ourselves, what thoughts we nourish ourselves with to bring out the best in ourselves. Reply

Hebrew roots of our Torah concepts Our ancient Hebrew script was not composed to only relate abstract concepts, but also to embody concrete actions. The biconsonantal root of Gevurah is strength, and the root of Netzach is about blossoming, sparkling, enduring. Another layer of understanding and beauty can be added to our study of the Sephirot if we also include an analysis of the root of the word. And, to complicate our interpretations, the ancient Hebrew alphabet was probably written in pictograph form, or at least some type of script which was the foundation of our present square-based Hebrew letters. In any case, searching for the roots (often biconsonantal roots)of Hebrew words can add incredible joy to our application of these words in our present daily life. Reply

Another Thought I think our author sometimes focuses overly much on avoiding acting poorly and less so on how to meet the challenges where action is difficult.

Let me illustrate my point by suggesting an alternative exercise for the day that seems to me to get closer to the Gevurah of Netzach:

Find ways today to stay the course on work you're doing for the good - work that may be both tiring and trying of patience but also work that, IF followed through in its difficult stages, will make a positive difference in improving the lives of others. Reply

Thank you am trying to implement growth thru these weeks. Didn't understand concept of Netzach. Thank you for the in depth explanations and examples.
Very thorough and easy to understand.
An incredible amount of work must have gone into that. Reply