Counting the Omer: day 14

Count for this day in the evening of the date listed above.

Counting the Omer began the second night of Passover, which was on April 9, 2020. The last day of counting is May 27, 2020.

You can learn more about the practice and history of counting the Omer here.

day 14 of the Omer: qualities of focus

Week two of the Omer is focused on healthy boundaries (gevurah).

The second week of the Omer is focused on healthy boundaries, discipline, and power (gevurah).

The seventh day of the week is focused on Divine Presence (malkhut or shekhina).

The fourteenth day of the Omer is about noticing Divine Presence in our lives, and allowing it to inspire our actions.

the blessing for counting the Omer

It’s traditional to say a blessing each evening, followed by reciting which day it is in the Omer journey. Here’s the blessing in English, feminized Hebrew, and the traditional masculine Hebrew. Use whichever Hebrew and/or English versions work for you!

English version of the blessing

Blessed are you, Eternal One-ness, Source and Breath of All Life, that has made us holy with your mitzvot, and compels us to count the Omer.

If you prefer feminine God language in Hebrew:

בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בִּמְצַוְּתָהּ וְצִוָּנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר

B’rukhah at Yah Eloheynu khay ha’olamim asher kideshatnu bemitzvoteha vetzivatnu al sefirat ha’omer.

If you prefer masculine God language, or just like the traditional way of saying the blessing:


בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר

Baruch ata adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al sefirat ha-omer.

here’s today’s count, in Hebrew (transliterated), and English.

Process for counting the Omer: bless, count, reflect, repeat.

Ha-yom arba-ah-asar yom, shehem shnei shavuot la-omer.

Today is fourteen days, which marks two weeks of the Omer.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’ve never done this before via blog post, and need your help to make sure everything works.

prefer Hebrew script?

If you prefer to read the blessing and count using Hebrew text, check out this app.

Or look in your favorite siddur (prayer book). It can often be found at the end of the evening service.

today’s poetic meditation

I’m posting a poetic meditation for each day to enhance the journey. Each meditation is focused on the kabbalistic qualities (sefirot) associated with the day.

The kabbalists often used the image of gates to describe the portals of consciousness represented by the sefirot, and that’s reflected in the ending to each of the meditations.

Evoking the kabbalistic Tree of Life during the Omer.

The kabbalists also often referenced the Tree of Life upon which the sefirot were represented by the trunk and branches.

Some people like to read the meditations when they say the blessing at night. Others like to contemplate them in the morning to provide spiritual nourishment for the day’s activities.

Experiment, and see what works for you!

shekhina b’gevurah: divine Presence and the discipline of praying with our feet

Today could be a day 
to pray with your feet.

What are you doing today?
What blessing would you like
for today’s activities?

Whether you are doing
something small or large,
private or public,
alone or with others,
what do you need
to be fully present
in this moment
to the life you are living
and the world
in which you live?

Offer a blessing
for your own sake
and step through
the 14th gate.

Copyright Shifrah Tobacman, 2012.

prefer to hold a book in your hand?

You might be interested in Rabbi Shifrah’s collection Omer/Teshuvah: 49 Poetic Meditations for Counting the Omer or Turning Toward a New Year. Write to rabbishifrah@gmail.com to get a copy!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is OmerTesuvahBooks1-1.jpg
Poetic meditations on the Omer from Rabbi Shifrah

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About Rabbi Shifrah

Shifrah

I’m a rabbi, holistic teacher, interfaith chaplain, end of life doula, and poet. I have a healer’s spirit, and am dedicated to social, economic, and environmental justice. I live in Emeryville, CA with my beloved wife Ruth, with whom I’ve been happily partnered for over twenty-two years.

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