Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 30 Nisan, 5785
Good morning! So much is happening today! We are are the cusp of a new moon, a new month (Iyar) and more of the Omer counting!
The month of Iyar is all about light, healing, and second chances. It is a special cycle of the moon – because every day is special. It is the one month of the hebrew calendar – where every day literally counts.
Iyar is the month where we celebrate the “second passover” where those who were unable to celebrate the first! It is a beautiful time of growth.
Today is ALSO the 15th day of the Omer. Which means we start a new week of themes – we started with love, then discipline – NOW? We are focused on compassion. The word “tiferet” can mean compassion – but it also means beauty – and harmony.
The idea is the integration of strength and loving-kindness. It’s tenderness.
The healing move this week is learning to shift our energy from seeking out tenderness in OTHERS by finding the tenderness within.
How we love ourselves is the move here with our compassion and tenderness.
Where can you be tender to yourself today?
These are my thoughts – what are yours?
Here are my thoughts from last year:
Good morning! Tonight is Rosh Chodesh Iyar! As I shared yesterday, Iyar is an AMAZING month. We have so many special days coming up.
- Each day counts because we count the Omer EVERY day of Iyar.
- In addition, we have the second Passover on the 14th day of Iyar. It is a tremendous “second chance” at making the year count.
- We also have a Holy Day – Lag B’Omer (33rd Day of counting the Omer on the 18th of Iyar) – the Day of My Joy – we light fires to kindle our spirits!
So many BEAUTIFUL things coming our way this month. It is a time of healing. So let’s make each moment COUNT!
Speaking of counting – we are on Day 15 of the Omer. We are entering our third week of counting. This week’s theme is “Tiferet” or compasison.
From Chabad:
Tiferet – compassion – blends and harmonizes the free outpouring love of chesed with the discipline of gevurah. Tiferet possesses this power by introducing a third dimension – the dimension of truth, which is neither love or discipline and therefore can integrate the two.
Truth is accessed through selflessness: rising above your ego and your predispositions, enables you to realize truth. A clear and objective picture of yours and others needs. The imbalance of love and discipline (and for that matter, any distortion) is a result of a subjective, hence limited perspective; introducing truth, by suspending personal prejudices, allows you to express your feelings (including the synthesis of chesed and gevurah) in the healthiest manner.
This quality gives tiferet its name, which means beauty: it blends the differing colors of love and discipline, and this harmony makes it beautiful. For tiferet to be complete it needs the inclusion of the following seven facets: love of compassion, discipline of compassion, compassion of compassion, endurance of compassion, humility of compassion, bonding of compassion and sovereignty of compassion.
This is the harmony of loving kindness and strength. It is the integration of these energies and it is BEAUTIFUL. What a way to start the new moon – and integration of kindness and strength; of love and discipline – in COMPASISON.
Today, we are looking at the love aspect of compassion.
From Chabad:
Ask yourself: Is my compassion tender and loving or does it come across as pity? Is my sympathy condescending and patronizing? Even if my intention is otherwise, do others perceive it as such? Does my compassion overflow with love and warmth; is it expressed with enthusiasm, or is it static and lifeless?
Exercise for the day: When helping someone extend yourself in the fullest way; offer a smile or a loving gesture.
I love the idea of focusing tenderness (as opposed to pity). This is an important aspect of loving kindness and compassion. Compassion from a place of putting ourselves above someone else isn’t truly love.
And? Do we have compassion and tenderness for ourselves? Or do we sit in our own pity?
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