Friday 4-17-20, Nisan 23 5780, 6th. day of the weekly cycle, 29th. Spring day
WEEK 2 - Isaac - April 17-23, 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.
8th. Day of The Omer Count Gevurah-Discipline, Chesed of Gevurah-Loving Kindness in Discipline Psalm One Nineteen 57-64, John Fifteen:12-13
Psalm One Nineteen 57-64
CHETH
57Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words. 58I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. 59I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
61The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. 62At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. 63I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. 64The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.
John Fifteen:12-13
12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The underlying intention and motive in discipline is love. Why do we measure our behavior, why do we establish standards and expect people to live up to them -- only because of love.
Chesed of gevurah is the love in discipline; it is the recognition that your personal discipline and the discipline you expect of others is only an expression of love. It is the understanding that we have no right to judge others; we have a right only to love them and that includes wanting them to be their best.
Ask yourself: when I judge and criticize another is it in any way tinged with any of my own contempt and irritation? Is there any hidden satisfaction in his failure? Or is it only out of love for the other?
Exercise for the day: Before you criticize someone today, think twice: Is it out of concern and love?
Love always, Walter and Debbie
WEEK 2 - Isaac - April 17-23, 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.
8th. Day of The Omer Count Gevurah-Discipline, Chesed of Gevurah-Loving Kindness in Discipline Psalm One Nineteen 57-64, John Fifteen:12-13
Psalm One Nineteen 57-64
CHETH
57Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words. 58I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. 59I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
61The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. 62At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. 63I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. 64The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.
John Fifteen:12-13
12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The underlying intention and motive in discipline is love. Why do we measure our behavior, why do we establish standards and expect people to live up to them -- only because of love.
Chesed of gevurah is the love in discipline; it is the recognition that your personal discipline and the discipline you expect of others is only an expression of love. It is the understanding that we have no right to judge others; we have a right only to love them and that includes wanting them to be their best.
Ask yourself: when I judge and criticize another is it in any way tinged with any of my own contempt and irritation? Is there any hidden satisfaction in his failure? Or is it only out of love for the other?
Exercise for the day: Before you criticize someone today, think twice: Is it out of concern and love?
Love always, Walter and Debbie