11 Iyar, 5785 – 26th Day of the Omer

on May 9, 2025

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 11 Iyar, 5785
26th Day of the Omer

Good morning! As we prepare for Shabbat, today’s Omer theme is the Humility of Endurance. This morning I woke up and felt some really weird energy. Nothing flowed as I was used to. I have a regimented morning routine – and it seemed like the Universe was conspiring against this routine.

I had to make the decision to shift. I would still prioritize the routine – but I was ok with the flow. The order. The timing. For example, I tend to want to start my strength workout no later than 4:30am. It’s a marker for me that things are flowing smoothly.

I had to make a decision early on to just allow things to unfold as they were. It got to be 4:50am, and I had not done my strength work out. The 4:55am journaling time was going to get delayed. My Torah thoughts – everything would be delayed.

I ended up shifting and flowing and just trusting the order and flow of the morning – and it shifted my entire perspective. I am PROUD of doing my strength workout – because in the past, I might have just not done it. I really went with the flow this morning.

This brings me to the theme of today’s Omer. The Humility of Endurance. Sometimes? We just need to yield. I wrote this last year:

Yielding – which is a result of humility – is an essential element of enduring. Standing fast can sometimes be a formula for destruction. The oak, lacking the ability to bend in the hurricane, is uprooted. The reed, which yields to the wind, survives without a problem. Do I know when to yield, out of strength not fear? Why am I often afraid to yield?

I am struck by how our endurance is fueled by inner strength. The humility of endurance is the humble recognition and acknowledgement that the capacity to endure and prevail comes from our soul. From Love within. It can feel daunting at times – we want to stand rigid and not yield or bend – and – the universe sometimes wants us to sway and move – but remain rooted and grounded.

This has been my morning.

Let’s yield. And flow.

Here are my thoughts from last year:

It’s a new week! Just got back from “home” in West Chester, PA. Had an amazing time. Today is the 26^th Day of the Omer – we are winding down on it – and it’s not too late!

Today’s Theme is the Humility of Endurance. From Chabad:

Endurance is fueled by inner strength. Hod of netzach is the humble recognition and acknowledgement that the capacity to endure and prevail comes from the soul that G‑d gave each person. This humility does not compromise the drive of endurance; on the contrary, it intensifies it, because human endurance can go only so far and endure only so much, whereas endurance that comes from the Divine soul is limitless.

Do I attribute my success solely to my own strength and determination? Am I convinced that I am all powerful due to my level of endurance? Where do I get the strength at times when everything seems so bleak?

Exercise for the day: When you awake, acknowledge G‑d for giving you a soul with the extraordinary power and versatility to endure despite trying challenges. This will allow you to draw energy and strength for the entire day.

We must ask “why?” Why do we set up these promises and rules we make to ourselves? What is our goal and purpose? What are we looking to be?

It can feel daunting for sure. Like a mountain in front of us. And we must learn to take one step at a time – and veer off a little to get back on course. With this, let’s dig into the Parsha!

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