Sunday, April 25, 2021

Counting the Omer 2021 - Day Twenty-three

Day Twenty-three

14th of Iyyar 5781 – from sundown on April 25th to sundown on April 26th, 2021
Pesach Sheni (Second Passover, one month after Passover)


Begin by reciting the blessing:

ברוך אתה יהוה אלוהינו , מלך העולם , אשר קדשנו במצותי
וציונו עלי לספירת העומר
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'Olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav
v'tizivanu al sefirat ha'omer.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count the omer.

Recite the day of the count:

היום אלשה ועשרים יום שהם שלשה שבועות ושני ימים לעמר
Hayom sh'loshah v'esrim yom, sh'hem shloshah shavuot u-shnei yamim la'omer.
Today is the twenty-third day, making three weeks and two days of the Omer
.
Psalm 67: 4-7 (NKJV 49 word Paraphrase) 
Let the peoples praise You, God; For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern all the nations on earth. Let everyone praise You, God; Let all people praise You.  Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, shall bless us, And all the earth shall fear Him.
Psalm 4  (NKJV)
Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer. How long, exalted men, will my honor be insulted? [How long] will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie? Selah Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry and do not sin; on your bed, reflect in your heart and be still. Selah Offer sacrifices in righteousness and trust in the Lord. Many are saying, "Who can show us anything good?" Look on us with favor, Lord. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and new wine abound. I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, Lord, make me live in safety.  


Prayer for day 23: 
Our Father, we implore You, by the awesome power of Your right hand, accept the prayers of your people; strengthen and purify us, Awesome and Mighty King of the Universe, we beseech you, that You guard as the apple of Your eye Your people Israel.  Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful kindness. Powerful, Holy One we repent of our sin and we humbly ask that You shine your face on us and heal our land. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, יְהוָ֖ה  Yehovah, You who knows the secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.
Sovereign of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count the days of the omer, in order to purify and cleanse us. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that in the counting of the omer which I (we) have counted today, I (we) may be purified and sanctified. And through my (our) obedience to your commandments, may Your abundant bounty be granted all the world. May it rectify our soul and our spirit from every impurity and evil intent, and may it purify and sanctify us with all your holiness. 
Abba, father, on this, the twenty-third day of the counting of the omer, we remember your bountiful kindnesses to the Israelites, how after You delivered them from slavery in Egypt they repeatedly forgot the great miracles you performed and the acts of love you showered on them. And we remember how in the fourth week after He arose, Yeshua continued to reveal Himself to His disciples speaking of the things pertaining to Your kingdom. We humbly ask that You in the same way, bring us safely out of the bondage of sin and reveal yourself to us, so that we may become more and more the persons you wish us to be. Amen.
After the reciting the prayer, continue to pray and meditate on how after the Israelites became complacent and self-reliant at Elim they set out and camped at the Sea of Reeds where they complained to Moses. Pray that God will be patient with us when we are complacent, self-reliant and self-serving.

The Sefirot for Day twenty-three is: Gevurah of Netzach: Discipline in Endurance.
A very important relationship exists between Gevurah and Netzach. Discipline requires endurance and endurance discipline. Endurance without discipline will not endure till the end.  

Suggested activity for today: Identify and break one bad habit.

Suggested reading from the weekly Torah portion: Emor – 2nd reading: Leviticus 21:16-22:16
Other Suggested readings: Deu 17:1; Mal 1:6-14; Heb 9:14; 13:10; 1 Pet 1:19



Go to Counting the Omer 2021 - Day Twenty-four


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