The days between Passover & the holiday of Shavuot (where we celebrate the giving of the Torah), are known as the days of "the counting of the Omer." After leaving Egypt, the Jewish people traveled through land and water (or splitting of waters) for 49 days, until finally camping at Mount Sinai, where they heard the 10 commandments and received the Divine Torah. In order to prepare for such a lofty occasion, we are told that the Jewish People worked on refining themselves during these 49 days. In commemoration of this, there is a mitzvah to count every day of these 49 days (see here). But beyond just commemoratively counting, we are enjoined to also try and work on refining ourselves during these days, just as our forefathers & mothers did when they left Egypt.
The Chassidic Masters & Kabbalists explain a very deep component of this "refinement" done during these 49 days. We are taught that each of us are made up of 10 sefirot (character traits/drives): 3 intellectual and 7 emotional. Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge. Kindness, discipline, beauty/harmony, endurance, humility, bonding, leadership. During the Omer, we focus solely on the emotional traits.
To complicate things, each of the traits we have contains all of the other traits within them. That's why we need 49 days - 7 emotive traits, that contain the other 7: 7X7=49. What does this mean?
Let's take an example with the 1st 2 emotive sefirot - Loving kindness & discipline. If a parent's child were to run into the middle of the street, that parent might feel the need to severely scold that child, so that he doesn't do it again and lives a safer life. That parent is acting outwardly with discpline, but is expressing his loving kindness through his discipline. His intention is a good one! But sometimes the only way to help someone is through severity.
In the bigger picture, let's look at these 2 emotive traits.
All of us know of (or have) parents who pretty much let their kids do anything they want. They like to be friends with their kids, and let them have a free, good time in life, with little discipline or severity. That is pure Loving Kindess. Then we see the parents who are overly tough disciplinarians. The child must be careful with his every step.
What's needed here is the 3rd sefirah, known as "Tiferet" - harmony, or beauty. Tiferet is the ability to blend the above 2 drives, kindness & discipline, in a healthy way. To give a bit, and to hold back a bit. To balance; to harmonize.
Oftentimes we think that true perfection and greatness lies in extremes. Extreme giving and kindness; extreme severity or discipline. Ultimately though, in our lives, we must work to exercise tiferet - harmony, in every aspect of our lives. Fascinatingly, this 3rd drive is described in Kabbalah as "Beauty." The Sages explain that just as one color alone is not as beautiful as numerous colors intertwined in a harmonious fashion, so too Severity and Loving Kindness must be channeled together to achieve a truly beautiful life.
You can count on it ;)
Shabbat Shalom!
-Daniel
{For some great short insights into these Sefirot & days, check here}
