day 6 of Omer HaTeshuvah begins the evening of September 12, 2020 (24 Elul)
qualities of focus: Yesod (Connection, Foundation) within Chesed (Loving-kindness).
the practice of Omer HaTeshuvah
Read, say, or chant any or all of the following:
Tonight begins Day 6 of Omer HaTeshuvah, of counting down the days as we turn towards Rosh HaShanah. It’s the second day of the seventh week of Omer HaTeshuvah. The new year begins this Friday.
Echad, yachid, u-m’yuchad. Echad, yachid, u-m’yuchad.
One, only One, all together One. (English from Reb Zalman Schachter Shalomi, z’l.)
One, every single One, each one joined and united with the One. (English source unknown.)
poetic meditations to help on your journey
Here are two poetic offerings to help with today’s journey.
The first is a reminder that our connection to Divine Love, our Love, is never truly out of reach.
The second is called Shema Koleynu, which means “hear our voice”, words that figure into the High Holy Day liturgy. But the English title is Hear Our Voice Inside.
When I first wrote this poem in 2015, the title referred to our private internal conversations with the Divine, and with the world around us. Now, as we all deal with versions of sheltering in place during a pandemic, and as millions of us on the West Coast avoid poor air quality and in some cases evacuations, caused by a record-breaking fire season, an additional dimension is added to the word “inside”.
But the poem is still, as it was five years ago, a reminder to keep our hands open to giving and receiving, even when we’re not sure what we have to give, or what we hope to receive.
The poem was inspired by a quote from nineteenth century Indian writer and artist Rabindranath Tagore.
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.
R. Tagore
other practices you might try
- Consider the questions, feelings or thoughts that arise as you read today’s meditation and journal what comes up for you.
- Chant the words “yesod b’chesed” (Connection within Loving-Kindness). Use any melody or chanting modality that works for you.
- Sit quietly and notice your breathing. As you consider the qualities associated with this day, notice what comes up in your body. Breathe into any areas that need attention, letting out unneeded tension as you exhale.
- Stand, sit, walk, or look outside, and notice where can sense the Shekhinah’s enduring presence, the enduring nature of Life.
- You might also like to try using this kabbalistic verse about unity and unification. “L’shem yichud kudsha brichu u-shechinteh,l’shem yichud kudsha brichu u-shechinteh. For the sake of Holy Blessed One-ness, unifying with Shekhinah, Divine Presence in our lives.”
- Invoke the name of God using the pronunciation of each Hebrew letter of the four-letter Name Y-H-V-H. It goes like this. “Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei, Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei, Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei, Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei.“
more about this day
The second day of the week is focused on Yesod (Connection, Foundation, Devotion). It inspires us to relationship, and to the foundational nature of our inter-connections.
The seventh week of Omer HaTeshuvah is focused on Chesed, Loving-Kindness. Simple, direct, open-hearted loving-kindness.
Each sefirah (Divine aspect) that we explore in Omer HaTeshuvah contains within it all the others as well, and each is an aspect of God. Today, Connection (Yesod) is expressed through Loving-Kindness (Chesed).
the turning of Elul
We’re also in the month of Elul, the month right before Rosh HaShanah. The energy of teshuvah (turning towards our most loving and beloved selves) increases, and we’re reminded to engage in a process of reckoning and forgiveness – with others, with God, and within ourselves.
As we do the sometimes difficult work of acknowledging what we’d like to repair, or heal, or shift, whether in ourselves or in our relationships with others, it’s easy to beat ourselves up. But teshuvah, I believe, is fundamentally about Love, including self-love. That’s why so many of the poems found on the blog during this time focus on love, healing, and relationship.
Reckoning and forgiveness can be difficult. Teshuvah focuses us on ways we’ve missed the mark with others, and ways we’ve been hurt by others. But it reminds us and gives us an opportunity to mend our relationships and, in the process, increase our skillfulness. It’s about refining how we act, not changing who we are. This reckoning, this teshuvah, is about lovingly focusing our attention on how we can do better.
the bottom line for today
The bottom line for today is this. Notice what needs attention for you to engage in the act of Teshuvah from a place of Love.
What needs tending? It may be a relationship, or something in yourself in need of healing. Or it may be a spiritual practice that you’d like to try, or get back to. Identify one thing you can do. Tend to your own loving connections. It’s Divine.
make a donation
You may be receiving this post because you signed up for the class Omer HaTeshuvah: Turning Together towards a New Year. This program is being co-sponsored with Rapha: The Center for Healing and Spirituality. Please consider making a donation to support the work of Rapha and of Rabbi Shifrah.
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