Prayer for Character Refinement During Sefirat Ha’omer Through Reflecting the Seven Emotional Sefirot

 

Parashat Emor

Prayer for Character Refinement During Sefirat Ha’omer
Through Reflecting the Seven Emotional Sefirot
 
Hashem, please help me become who I’m meant to be!
I yearn to rise from physicality to be spiritually free. 
 
With Your holy sefirot I desire to reconnect.
Through all my character traits let them reflect!
 
Guide me to use my hands and not just my mind,
to do the work of becoming deeply refined!
 
With the sefirah of Chesed help me to become aligned!
Guide me to give more of myself and become more kind!
 

Help me develop self-discipline and power,

like a stronghold and a steadfast tower!

 

Guide me to get the most out of every hour,

without allowing any mitzvah to grow sour!

 

May my heart go beyond the call of duty,

reflecting the balanced harmony of beauty!

Hashem I really need your continued assistance,

to help me overcome obstacles with persistence.

In acknowledging Your splendor with humility,

let me not be afraid to express vulnerability!

With Your covenant let me express my affirmation!

Ultimate world peace we all desire with anticipation!

 Through Your sefirot I yearn to build a strong foundation,

for perfecting relationships and communication.

Guide me on what to say and what to skip,

to connect with others and build leadership!

Let not any unwanted words from my lip slip!

Beyond the ego, I want to reflect Your Kingship!

 Igniting all my seven lights of your Menorah,

is the best preparation for receiving the Torah. 

Based on Vayikra Chapter 23: verses 11-16 and on various teachings on the seven sefirot.

 :ספר ויקרא פרק כג פסוק יא-טז (יא) וְהֵנִיף אֶת הָעֹמֶר לִפְנֵי הָשֵׁם לִרְצֹנְכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת יְנִיפֶנּוּ הַכֹּהֵן

(יב) וַעֲשִׂיתֶם בְּיוֹם הֲנִיפְכֶם אֶת הָעֹמֶר כֶּבֶשׂ תָּמִים בֶּן שְׁנָתוֹ לְעֹלָה לַהָשֵׁם:

(יג) וּמִנְחָתוֹ שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשֶּׁמֶן אִשֶּׁה לַהָשֵׁם רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ וְנִסְכֹּה יַיִן רְבִיעִת הַהִין:

(יד) וְלֶחֶם וְקָלִי וְכַרְמֶל לֹא תֹאכְלוּ עַד עֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה עַד הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת קָרְבַּן אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם בְּכֹל משְׁבֹתֵיכֶם: 

(טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה:

(טז) עַד מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַהָשֵׁם:

“He shall wave the Omer before Hashem so that it will be acceptable for you; the kohen shall wave it on the day after the rest day. And on the day of your waving the Omer, you shall offer up an unblemished lamb in its [first] year as a burnt offering to Hashem; Its meal offering [shall be] two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to Hashem as a spirit of satisfaction. And its libation [shall be] a quarter of a hin of wine. You shall not eat bread or [flour made from] parched grain or fresh grain, until this very day, until you bring your G-d's sacrifice. [This is] an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. Then you shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the rest day from the day you bring the Omer as a wave offering seven weeks; they shall be complete. You shall count until the day after the seventh week, [namely,] the fiftieth day, [on which] you shall bring a new meal offering to Hashem”

The Seven Emotional Sefirot – the Midot (Character Traits)

(Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel with their Mystical and Medicinal Properties pp. 16-18).

The Seven Species reflect the seven emotional sefirot through which G*d created the world. They are like particular vessels that channel Divine Light through their own distinct shape and color, each having its own individual quality. There is no exact translation of the Hebrew character trait embodied by each of the sefirot. This version, therefore, is only an approximation: Chesed (Loving-kindness), Gevurah (Might), Tiferet (Beauty), Netzach (Victory), Hod (Acknowledgment), Yesod (Foundation), and Malchut (Royalty). The following description of the seven emotional sefirot will help clarify their different energies: 

חסֶֶד ~ Chesed - Loving-kindness is infinite giving without boundaries. Its energy extends outwardly in ultimate expansion. In order not to go overboard, Chesed needs to be channeled into proper receptacles. It is the job of its faithful partner, Gevurah, to confine Chesed and ensure that it remains within proper bounds. 

גְּבוּרָה ~ Gevurah - Power/Restraint is the focused power of concentrating vital energy into accessible vessels. Its energy is confining and contracts inwardly. Gevurah has the power to judge, discriminate and restrain according to the worthiness of the receiver. Therefore, Gevurah is also referred to as din (judgment).

 תִּפְאֶרֶֶת  ~ Tiferet - Harmony/Beauty is the perfectly balanced middle ground between extremes. It especially harmonizes the lights of Chesed with the vessels of Gevurah, ensuring that Chesed flows freely within the channels of Gevurah, and that their contrasting energies are reconciled and balanced in exactly the required way. 

נצֵַח ~ Netzach - Victory/Endurance eternalizes the energy of Chesed, through its steadfast power to go against obstacles and endure. It has the ability to conquer and overcome despair. Netzach also means to ‘conduct’ or ‘orchestrate,’ thus Netzach orchestrates the energies of the previous sefirot to ensure their eternity. 

הוֹד ~ Hod - Acknowledgement/Splendor is the reflective energy of applied Gevurah, which acknowledges the gifts of others while filtering the friends from the foes. It ensures that the energy of Netzach doesn’t overpower the goodness of its opponent but incorporates it into the greater whole. Humility born from submission and deep inner commitment, together with recognizing the noble characteristics of others, endows Hod with its soft glow. 

יְסוֹד ~ Yesod - Foundation/Covenant actualizes potential in its capacity as a connector between the upper sefirot and the recipient –Malchut, representing the earth below. In addition to harmonizing and balancing Netzach and Hod the way Tiferet harmonizes Chesed and Gevurah, Yesod acts as the channel through which Malchut receives its proper measure of light and life force. Yesod is also referred to as the brit – the holy covenant between G*d and Avraham, the first Jew. Through connecting the inner sefirot with their outer manifestation in Malchut, unifying above with below, beginning with end, Yesod creates ultimate shalom (peace). 18 The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel 

מַלְכוּת ~ Malchut - Royalty/Kingdom is associated with the earth. It has nothing of its own, yet it is the vessel that manifests the lights of all the other sefirot in the lower physical world. Malchut is the perfect feminine receiver, providing the space for actualizing the latent potential of all goodness. It is often referred to as ‘the world of speech,’ since speech is the medium through which we relate to the outer world by expressing our thoughts and emotions to others. It is through the power of speech that we can exert leadership and exercise authority and kingship. (Vayikra 23:11-16).