Omer

During the seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot, the period from the exodus from Egypt to revelation on Sinai, Jews count the days and the weeks. Doing so, we remember the journey from the depths of slavery to the heights of G-d’s Holy Presence. Here’s a link to my Times of Israel essay on counting the Omer. And here’s prayer to set the intention called “The Season of Counting.”

According to mystical practice, each week has a theme, and each day has a sub-theme, leading us toward revelation. For convenience, here are links to prayers and meditations divided by week, as well as prayers for Shavuot. The entire list follows below.

• Week One: Chesed (Lovingkindness, Love, Benevolence)
• Week Two: Gevurah (Discipline, Justice, Restraint, Awe)
• Week Three: Tiferet (Beauty, Harmony, Compassion, Truth)
• Week Four: Netzach (Eternity, Endurance, Fortitude, Ambition)
• Week Five: Hod (Humility, Splendor)
• Week Six: Yesod  (Foundation, Bonding)
• Week Seven: Malchut (Nobility, Sovereignty, Leadership)
• Shavuot

Week one: Chesed

Lovingkindness, love, benevolence. They’re listed in my suggested order, from day 1 at the top to day 7.

• “For an Open Heart” – To remember how to love
• “Witnessing” – Honoring the lives of others
• “For Compassion” – For finding compassion in love
• “Let Love” – About embodying love
• “For Grace” – For living a life of love and humility
• “Blessing for a Spouse/Partner” – Expressing the bond of love
• “To Seek Your Love” – About seeking G-d’s love

Week two: Gevurah

Justice, discipline, severity, restraint, awe. They’re listed from day 8 at the top to day 14.

• “For Wonder and Awe” – For a heart of wonder and awe
• “Anger” – To turn anger into the foundation for justice
• “Cry No More” – To turn anger into the foundation for justice
• “To Seek Your Glory” – For G-d’s help in finding awe and wonder
• “For Humility” – To approach discipline with humility
• “Life as a Ceremony” – To live life with sacred purpose
• “Unlock Your Heart” – The nobility in a life of purpose

Week three: Tiferet

Beauty, harmony, compassion, truth. They’re listed from day 15 at the top to day 21.

• “A Moment of Blessing” – To see the blessings in our lives
• “Choices” – For the will to choose compassion
• “Prayer for You, Prayer for Me” – About the secrets hidden in prayer
• “For a New Vision” – To see the world through G-d’s eyes
• “Life as a Garden” – About a life of kindness and grace
• “Small Moments” – To practice seeing the compassion around us
• “Life as a Symphony” – About a life of harmony and holiness

Week four: Netzach

Eternity, endurance, fortitude, ambition. They’re listed from day 22 at the top to day 28.

• “Regarding Old Wounds” – About finding endurance
• “Fear” – Turning fear into a tool for healing
• “For Healing the Spirit” – Finding compassion and fortitude
• “On the Trail” – To face the challenges ahead
• “Transitions” – For the energy and endurance to manage change
• “To Do Your Will” – About finding purpose
• “Garden of Blessings” – Nobility in times of rejoicing and despair

Week five: Hod

Humility, splendor. They’re listed from day 29 at the top to day 35.

• “In Plain Sight” – G-d’s gifts are hidden in plain sight
• “Offerings” – To respond with humility to life’s challenges
• “To Hear Your Voice” – A prayer to hear the Divine Voice
• “Come Walk” – The magic and majesty of the spiritual journey
• “About the Heavens” – Humility from witnessing G-d’s splendor
• “Let Us Meet” – Finding places to meet G-d’s holiness
• “About the Rainbow” – The nobility manifest in G-d’s splendor

Week six: Yesod

Foundation, bonding. They’re listed from day 36 to day 42.

• “Shall I Cry?” – Dedication to finding deep and lasting love
• “Ethics” – To embody our highest ideals
• “Being Present” – To embody our highest ideals
• “For Service” – For the endurance to live in service to others
• “To Know Your Word” – Connecting with the divine
• “Wild Broken Heart” – Bonding in healing love
• “We Are Music” – Nobility in our connection with G-d

Week seven: Malchut

Nobility, sovereignty, leadership. They’re listed from day 43 to day 49

• “Invitations” – Lovingkindness as the source of humility
• “Let Holiness” – To embody holiness
• “For Sharing Divine Gifts” – To transform suffering into beauty
• “Seeking G-d” – Where is G-d? Hidden in plain sight
• “Messengers” – The messengers of G-d are all around
• “Whispered Prayer” – Prayer resounds in the heavens
• “This is the Place” – Beauty and holiness are everywhere

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Credit: Kabbalah Names