This is part prayer, part insight, part inspiration. It’s about the yearning for a certain kind of nobility that comes from allowing G-d’s gifts to enter our hearts, the kind of nobility that requires self-confidence, self-care, and self-discipline. I use this prayer for the 14th night of the counting of the OmerFrom the second day of Passover until Shavuot, Jews count seven weeks – seven times seven days – to commemorate the period between the Exodus from Egypt and the Revelation at Sinai. When the Temple stood, a certain measure (omer) of barley was offered on the altar each day; today, we merely count out the days., Nobility in Discipline.
Unlock Your Heart
Come,
Unlock your heart,
Open the gates
So your soul may enter.
Splendor.
 Radiance.
  Awe.
Let the spark of holiness
And the gift of humanity
Meet in the core of your being.
Wisdom.
 Glory.
  Truth.
Let the echo of the ages
And the yearning for tomorrow
Sing a duet of eternity.
Mystery.
 Majesty.
  Wonder.
Then, dear sisters and brothers,
Your hands will become a fountain of blessings,
And your eyes will become wells of love.
Your words will resonate with TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general.,
And your deeds will glorify G-d’s Holy Name.
© 2012 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved. Image by D’vorah Horn from her set of Omer Practice Cards (2016).
