Apr 19
People today have it so easy with all the a capella covers of actually good Jewish and Israeli music, I remember when all the music you had to listen to during the Omer was a capella Chanukah songs from yeshiva aged boy choirs
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People today have it so easy with all the a capella covers of actually good Jewish and Israeli music, I remember when all the music you had to listen to during the Omer was a capella Chanukah songs from yeshiva aged boy choirs
Heimish Humor
Describe your favorite Jewish holiday or ritual in the most boring way possible!
This has been your daily reminder to count The Omer.
Today is the second day of the Omer. This day is represented by Miriam. I was picturing her, crossing the sea, all of the people behind her and her brothers. I see her looking behind her at the Israelites, as a range of emotions play across their faces. And she just knows what's needed in the moment is music. She takes her timbrel and sings, her words and melody carrying much louder than what should be possible. All the people hear her clearly and feel, perhaps for the first time in their lives, hope and the possibility of a future.
And when her foot finally touches the other side, she stays there at the edge, flanked by Aaron and Moses - boulders in the river of people passing by. She continues her song, a siren to the exhausted and weak stragglers who want to give up.
The last of the Israelites cross, her timbrel has stopped. And as she sings her final notes she sees the approaching Egyptians. But it's too late, the walls of water have already begun to fall. Miriam sees the horror on their faces as they realize it's too late, there's nothing now that they can do to change their fate. And she sees them crushed by the weight of the sea.
When the water settles, and the music has gone quiet, she remembers them. She will always remember them, and the cost her people's freedom demanded. The weight of this memory will tinge her songs for the rest of her days. And yet, she will continue to sing.
Anyway it's absolutely heartbreaking that this kind of venomous language is being spouted from one Jew to another, especially now. We are currently in the middle of counting the 49 days until Shavuot. For most of that time, up until Lag BaOmer (33rd day of counting), we are in mourning.
Why? Because of the devastating plague that struck Rabbi Akiva's students. Why were they struck with a plague? As punishment for their baseless hatred and antagonization of other Jews.
They turned meaningless squabbles about how Judaism must be practiced into hardened hatred of each other, just because they disagreed on matters of Jewish law.
Rabbi Akiva said "Love your fellow as yourself, that is greatest basis of the Torah".
Now, more than ever we need to stress unity within all of Judaism and love for all Jews no matter what. We cannot turn disagreements into outright war. Our strength is in our unity, and we all suffer when we hold such strong hatred for each other.
As we leave Passover and count the omer as we march towards the Revelation at Sinai with Shavuot, how will you bring the stories of freedom from bondage with you?
How will you seek to free others enslaved by the bonds of injustice?