Omer Day 49: Into the Blue

Tonight begins day 49, last day 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., the gate of Malchut sh’ b’Malchut. This is the day that will lead us to SinaiAccording to the Torah, God, in the presence of the Jewish people, gave Moses the Torah on Mount Sinai (Har Sinai)., to whatever it is that will be revealed to us in this holy mountain, as much as we can receive within the readiness of our time. Here, insofar as we open, is the wholeness of our being, the holiness of our humanity. We are fully alive now, fully surrendered to the process of living on—in—this earth. Here we are now arriving; in whatever rag-tag state we may be in, coming into our true being. Can you believe it? If you can’t quite, don’t worry, we are making it anyway. Take my word for it, if you will, or just relax into the closing and experience the dance however you do. These gates have wound us round and round, down and in, up and out at once, into the very center of our being, the place in which we are standing right now and through which we are always moving. Dizzying yes, but with Malchut, in Malchut, we hold the center: our feet know the ground even as we spin.

Here’s a poem, commissioned by a community choir for their tenth anniversary celebration. I wrote the choir a blessing, so that they could receive it themselves and pass the blessing on to their audience. The piece has been set to music by composer Andrea Clearfield.

Into the Blue: A Blessing From the Rainbow Chorale

May you be met
at the door and greeted
by the kindest of breezes,
the kind that rises
from the earth
through the throats
of the ones who breathe
Alleluia.
May you be swept up
in the love of a song,
lean and laugh
like some lily in the wind—
there’s nothing to catch us
but air,
and our stalks
strong enough to
split the earth
and reach
for the summer sun.
May you seek the green and
receive what you need:
from the light,
through the breath
that lifts us up, out of
the tangles of our roots
and around
even the most oppressive
rock.
In good, kind company
may you lengthen, swell
soften, spread,
send the colors of your voice,
every russet, carnelian,
deep yellow
stripe of your flame
into the blue
Alleluia
as a chorus of future lilies
flourishes through you
day after day
week after week
June after June
giving up, giving in, giving out:
trumpeting
the exquisite, excruciating
pleasure of
growing here.

Commissioned by the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware to celebrate its tenth anniversary season.

I send it as a blessing to you also and leave you chanting: Kamti ani lif ‘toakh l’dodi. I will open to you my beloved, will you open, open to me? (Song of Songs 5:5)