Shavuot

In the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, the ancient Israelites brought their first fruits (first harvest of their crop) to the Temple to offer to God at Shavuot, 49 days after Passover. (The name Shavuot, literally "weeks," symbolizes the completion of this seven-week period.)

HISTORY

CUSTOMS

History

Shavuot is a festival with a variety of names, each one representing different aspects of the festival. It is the Hag HaKatzir (harvest festival), Hag HaShavuot (festival of weeks) and Hag Habikkurim (festival of first fruits). The Torah describes the biblical festival in all three ways. For example, in Numbers28:26, the people are commanded to offer a new meal-offering to the Eternal on the “day of first fruits” in the festival of weeks.

The name “Atzeret” (“cessation” or “solemn assembly”) is used later in the Talmud to reflect how the rabbinic sages viewed the festival as a conclusion to Passover and the subsequent counting period of the omer (when the sheaf offerings were given in the Temple and each of the 49 days is counted). The talmudic rabbis also added the name “zeman matan torateynu” (time of the reception of Torah ), which reflected their view of the festival as also having been the time in history when the Jews received the Torah on Mount Sinai. In post-Talmudic times, the name “Shavuot” came back into use.

The counting period which began during Passover and lasted seven weeks–a week of weeks–marked the period from the harvesting of barley to the harvesting of wheat (the “first fruits” of the wheat harvest)–the last cereal to ripen–on Shavuot.

Mural designed by: Janice Masur

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Customs

Kabbalistic Nature of Counting the Omer

Omer

The Omer comprises 49 days, paralleling the wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness, which in Torah comes the day after Passover begins, and ends with receiving Torah on Shavuot.

Originally, the omer was the measure of wheat brought as a donation of harvest gratitude to the Temple in ancient Israel.

Kabbalists have developed a powerful spiritual practice for Sephirat HaOmer, Counting of the Omer through pairing it with a practice drawn from the intersection of authentic Kabbalah that accords with contemporary psychology and spiritual development.

Kabbalistic Practice

The Kabbalists' Omer practice is done based on a seven-week grid of seven of the ten qualities of the Eitz Chayyim, the Tree of Life. The Tree is a mind map, a model, a metaphor for the source of life, and the mystery of the source of life manifesting as all that is apparent to us, including who we are and who we are becoming.

Each day of the week, for 7 weeks, moves through an aspect of 7 of the 10 Sephirot of the Eitz Chayyim. These Sephirot are Chesed (loving kindness), Gevurah (strength), Tiferet (beauty), Netzach (victory), Hod (splendor), Yesod (foundation), Malchut (kingship).

Higher Sephirot

Three of the highest aspects of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life (Eitz Chayyim) are not directly attainable. We can only conceive of them and at times experience the grace of the dimensions known as Keter, "crown," Chochmah, "wisdom," and Binah, "understanding." Refining the seven attainable aspects by combining them with each other and contemplating the new pair for each day is a powerful spiritual practice.

This approach to Omer practice transforms the 49 days into a very accessible spiritual journey.