Counting the Omer: Day 12
by Tara Rose
The Twelfth Day of the Counting of the Omer: Hod of Gevurah / Humility within Justice
Background:
The counting of the Omer uses the tree of life, the system of divine energies (of G-d) located in the body, mind, heart, and soul to help us be our best and ready us to receive Torah through spiritual preparation. When we look to understand the Hod of Gevurah message on the 12th day for our own spiritual growth – we can again look at our physical body for clues.
Hod of Gevurah within Ourselves
Gevurah is located in the left hand and represents justice or might. If we stop and breathe – and feel the sensations in our left hand — can we feel sensations of justice, might, discipline, and restraint – all that justice means to us? Can we have our heart, mind, soul all experience Gevurah, that sense of justice or might?
Now, we look for Hod (humility) in our bodies, in our left foot. Hod is associated with humility, majesty, splendor and glory. When we see Hod in our left foot, we think of going forward and action with humility, and at the same time with majesty. With Hod we walk or move forward in the world as a majestic queen or king.
Now we combine the two, left foot to left hand. Breathe Hod (humility and majesty) into Gevurah (might and justice) – we find power and justice carried out with humility and at the same time with splendor and royalty.
How do we see Hod of Gevurah in our actions in the world?
When we say a truth, do we say it with both humility and strength? When we speak of Justice and what needs to change in the world, both the small world of our families, work, friends, and in the larger world of the country we live in, do we speak with humility and majesty at the same time?
Perhaps it is easier to think back to the Torah (the bible) to see G-d’s might and justice and also see the majesty in it. The work of the counting of the Omer is for us – to see those aspects of G-d within ourselves – and try to grow further, to do better, to be better.
For a parent, how do you bring Gevurah (might and strength, and discipline) into your home, and do it with humility? With splendor?
As an adult (if you are one), how do you bring Hod of Gevurah into all your relationships, including the one with your parents?
Humility is modesty. We, those of us at BCC, are so powerful in the world today based on where we live, the amount of resources we have, and access to those resources compared to so many on the planet. Can we find Hod of Gevurah inside ourselves to make the world a better place?
It is our history, all of us saying we need justice – that helped bring us to where we are as a community today. A historic synagogue. How do we continue to do act and speak about bringing justice and do so with majestic focus and humility? What do we do for ourselves and for others?
There are injustices, a multitude of things that need to be “righted”, so many people who in different ways are oppressed in this world. We need to act and talk about those injustices – and at the same time – perhaps do it as if we were doing G-d’s work.
Find might and justice in yourself. Own it. Use it. Temper Gevurah with Hod – with humility – and we change the world.
