The Curse of Blessings

In Jewish tradition, these are the days of counting. Those of us in the "Diaspora" who live outside the land of Israel usually have two seders for Passover. During the seder on the second night, we begin counting "The Omer", the days between Passover and the second of the Three Biblical Festivals called Shavuot, which means "Weeks" The word "Shavua" in Hebrew means “week.” Seven days times seven weeks totals 49 days. The 50th day is recognized as the day the Israelites, and all those with them, stood at Mount Sinai and "Received" The Torah.  For me, Torah means Instruction and Teaching. I know from my studies, that "all" festivals were probably originally agricultural in nature. At that time, most people were intimately tied to the land. 

The Jewish Sages created Biblical connections to ancient Israelite traditions. Passover and Shavuot may have marked the Barley and Wheat Harvests. Sukkot (Tabernacles or booths), the third Pilgrimage Festival, happened in the fall when fruits and vegetables were harvested. It  was connected to the Israelite's time in the Midbar (Wilderness). They dwelled in a "Sukkah" a booth made of some wood and covered in branches. Today, we eat in “booths” as part of the ritual that recalls Israel's sojourn and eventual preparation to enter the Promised Land.

The Days of Counting unfortunately are virtually unknown to many Jews. Passover and Sukkot are each 8 days long. Shavuot is celebrated for two days outside the Land of Israel. The counting is known to Christians as the Pentecost. Over the years, the idea of "Counting" has grown with me spiritually. We count days all the time. Counting towards a graduation, a birth, something good and also to things that we fear, or are not so good. I've seen a number of challenges on Social Media to do something, or try something for a week, for a month or maybe even longer.

There is a wonderful book by Mitchell Chefitz called "The Curse of Blessings." There are ten tales told, each teaching a unique wisdom. My favorite is The Curse of Blessings. In the title story, an arrogant, uniformed officer of the law encounters a wise man in rags who puts a most unusual curse on him: to find something new to bless each day-or die at sundown. He finds something new to bless every day and eventually his life becomes a blessing to himself and to others. Others are drawn to him and the recognition of blessings changed his attitude and his actions. I try and incorporate this idea into my own life. It really has made a difference, enabled me to be happier and recharges my energy.

Every day, I count my blessings and recognize new ones I never noticed before. As the Psalmist wrote: "Teach us to number our days and help us achieve a heart of Wisdom." As you count your days, count the blessings, because eventually we will all stand at Sinai and commit to values and actions to create a better world.

Count your blessings every day!

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor

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