Week of Gevurah (גבורה) Strength/Boundaries

Welcome to the second week of the counting of the omer!

Remember that each week there is a “lead” sephira” and each of the others is put “within” that lead.  You’ll see it phrased as Gevurah within Chesed (גברה שבגברה) or Gevurah within Gevurah (גברה שבגברה).  If the concept of counting the omer is new to you — check the introduction for more about this practice.

The second week of the Omer focuses on Gevurah.  There are so many ways people interpret this sephira.  You see it described as severity, strength, judgement, discipline & measure,  might, courage, and power — just to name a few.  For me, my mind leaps directly to the Gevirah Netivah from Kohenet teachings — the Matriarch or Queen.

This second week, which explores Gevurah (strength/boundaries),  looks like this:

1. Loving-kindness within Strength
2. Strength within Strength
3. Compassion (Beauty) within Strength
4. Endurance within Strength
5. Glory within Strength
6. Connection within Strength
7. Majesty within Strength

The question to ask with each, is “What does this mean to me?”  Each day, explore what the idea of sephira within a sephir triggers for you.  How is Strength (Gevurah) within Loving-Kindness (Chesed) different than Loving-Kindness (Chesed) within Strength (Gevurah)?  Keep a journal or just let the thoughts float to the surface, make artwork, or dance it.  Take the moment to see what things brings up for you.

If you Count the Omer at night, then you might want to follow the tradition practices.  RitualWell.org has the full text in masculine and feminine Hebrew, transliterated, and in English.

Since there are many ways to engage with this practice, here are some of my favorites.  I hope you’ll share what techniques and resources you are using to explore, internalize, and understand the practice of counting the omer.

Exploring Gevurah

• Velveteen Rabbi: Day 9, Gevurah
• Telshemesh: Omer Calendar of Biblical Women
• Inner: Gevurah
• Aish: Gevurah
• Chabad: Week 2, Gevurah

Omer Resources

• Kohenet Community Offerings
  • Devotaj Guide to Counting the Omer (Devotaj)
  • Counting the Omer (Telshemesh)
  • Abel & Grain (Telshemesh)
  • Omer Oracle (Nomy Teaches)
  • Diving Pleasure Omer Oracle (Taya Mâ)
  • Counting the Omer (Fade Theory)
  • Dancing the Omer 5781 (Aliza Rivka)
• Wider Jewish Community Offerings
  • Guide to Counting the Omer (Ritual Well)
  • Counting the Omer (My Jewish Learning)
  • Omer Poetry Prompts (Jewess / Poetess)
  • Counting the Omer: The Basics of the Jewish Ritual (Bim Bam Video)
  • Counting my Genders: A Neo-Kabbalistic View of the Omer (Keshet)
  • Counting the Omer (A Way In)
  • How to Count the Omer (NeoChasid)
  • Karaite Approach to Counting Omer (Karaites.org)
  • Counting the Omer (Aish.com)

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Adapted from a post originally written for Peeling a Pomegranate (2003-2013) by Kohenet Ketzirah haMa’agelet