Week of Hod (הוד) Gratitude/Receiving

Welcome to the fifth 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. 

If the concept of counting the omer is new to you — check the introduction for more about this practice.

The fifth week of the Omer focuses on Hod. This sephira is usually interpreted as Awe, Splendor, or Glory. However, Rav Kohenet Jill Hammer refers to Hod as gratitude, receiving, and openness — Rabbi Rami Shapiro interprets it as humility. Choose the definition that works best for you, and feel free to change your mind. Play with how each of them sits with you.

So that means we’ve journeyed from Chesed (Loving Kindness) to Gevurah (Strength) to Tifereth (Beauty/Compassion) to Netzach (Endurance/Victory) and now to Hod.

Hod, like Netzach is a sephira of movement. They are considered to be the right and left feet on the body.   Where Netzach is the ability to overcome obstacles, Hod is what gives us the ability to feel a purpose in life and feel the glory and awe in accomplishments.  Hod is what gives direction to Netzach.

Once again we look at each of the other seven “lower” sephirot through the lense of this sephira. We begin like every week, with Chesed (loving kindness).

Where is the boundary between a sense of wonder for your accomplishments and arrogance? Are you too driven by Netzach and are just living to endure without knowing why?  Are you making choices in life or just floating from thing-to-thing?  What are you truly committed to achieving?  What do you do that fills you with a sense of wonder?

The fifth week, which explores Hod (Gratitude/Receiving), looks like this:

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

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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 Hod:

• Telshemesh: Omer Calendar of Biblical Women
• Kohelet: The Process of Hod, the Whirling Dervish and The Still Small Point
• Sephirat haOmer: Hod in a Snap Pea Flower
• Inner: Hod
• Chabad: Week 5,Hod
• Aish: Netzach & Hod
• Wikipedia: Hod

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