WEEK 2 - GEVURAH: JUSTICE, DISCIPLINE, RESTRAINT, AWE
After the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, the
Jewish people spent 49 days preparing for the most awesome experience in
human history -- the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Just as the
Jewish peoples' redemption from Egypt teaches us how to achieve inner
freedom in our lives; so too, this 49-day period, called 'Sefirat
Ha-Omer' the Counting of the Omer, is a time of intense character
refinement and elevation.
During this time, the aspect of the human psyche
that most requires refinement is the area of the emotions. The spectrum
of human experience consists of seven emotional attributes, or sefirot.
This week we continue Sefirat Ha'Omer, utilizing the seven dimensions of
the seven emotional attributes. The first week after Pesach was
dedicated to examining the aspect of chesed, loving-kindness. The second
week corresponds to the emotional attribute of gevurah, discipline or
justice.
If love (Chesed) is the bedrock of human
expression, discipline (Gevurah) is the channel through which we express
love. It gives our life and love direction and focus. Gevurah --
discipline and measure -- concentrates and directs our efforts, our love
in the proper directions.
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