Day 13: Yesod b'Gevurah

Day Six of Week 2 (13th day of Omer): Yesod in Gevurah

by Susie Davidson

Yesod is about foundations, the base of support from which to enact these desired changes. And foundations are bonded together, which reflects Yesod's other attribute of bonding.

With a firm foundation, a springboard that is also a grounded platform, we can join with like-minded others in a disciplined, Gevurah effort of healing, rebuilding, and preparing our agricultural systems toward a more sustainable future.

"Yesod is the final filter in which the test of your sincerity is measured by the degree of integrity your change reflects," the Chabad website states. "[t]he change in me will express my truth—the truth I want to be (the Hebrew word for truth= Emet, constructed of the letters Alef, Mem and Tav all of which have bases—“legs” that allows them to stand firmly on their own)."

Aish explores Gevurah, or "strength" as usually understood to be G-d's punishment of the wicked and judgement of humanity. It is the foundation of stringency, absolute adherence to the letter of the law, and strict meting out of justice." However, Aish continues that Gevurah goes far beyond strictness and judgment. "When G-d said, 'Let there be a firmament,' the world kept stretching and expanding, until G-d said, 'Enough!' and it came to a standstill." Human interaction is both defined, and limited. It's up to us to make our interactions just, effective, and inspiring.

In agriculture, we work with the foundation of the earth, its fields, valleys and surfaces. Through careful action, we produce the crops that feed and bind us together in sustenance.

Action: Reflect upon the different types of the Earth's surfaces, and the varied crops that each yields. Relate them to the different aspects of strength that we receive from each crop. Imagine the power and strength that we are also receiving!

Day 12: Hod b’Gevurah

Day Five of Week 2 (12th day of Omer): Hod in Gevurah

by Susie Davidson

Hod stands for humility and acknowledging limits. In concert with the restraint and discernment of Gevurah, you might want to lower those expectations. But don't, because Hod is also associated with splendor and glory.

Sure, change can be difficult, and there is a certain comfort to same old same old. But it doesn't have to be huge, insurmountable change, either. Eminent environmentalist Henry David Thoreau wrote that the journey was as important, and even perhaps more important, than the destination.

"In Scripture, gevurah and the plural gevurot refer to YHWH's capability of acting like a warrior," writes Michael Zank, who cites YHWH's slaying of the Sea monster Rahab, which led to "the establishment of the protected order of 'natural' life and the acclamation of YHWH's kingship in the assembly of the gods," and "the act of salvation at the Reed Sea (kri'at yam suf), another combat with the element of water but now in the context of history, establishing 'cultural' order in the covenant of Sinai." Zank feels that G-d's feats can help people recognize what he calls "their shameful lack in covenantal trust and truthfulness," and he writes of associations of such heroism of Gevurah with "the angel of salvation...or with the time or figure of messianic redemption.... [t]he enigmatic nature and wherabout of his power of historic salvation are likely to have given rise, after the hurban, to the rabbinic coinage of "The Power" (hag-gevurah) and its usages."

Be the power! Take those small steps to help sustain and preserve our planet.

Action: Write Letters to the Editor about environmental issues. Think about joining a Community-Sponsored Agricultural (CSA) group, and how you might help to link a school, food pantry or synagogue to the CSA.

Day 11: Netzach b’Gevurah

Day Four of Week 2 (11th day of Omer): Netzach in Gevurah

by Susie Davidson

It all begins with ourselves. And Netzach signifies trusting in ourselves by summoning both strength and confidence (Gevurah) and facing challenges that can come from within. Thoughts or feelings can either inspire and empower ourselves, or stand in our own way. Netzach is associated with perseverance, endurance and victory. So hang in there, and don't be your own worst enemy! And remember, it's never too late to change - ourselves, or our environment.

By calling up some of Gevurah's focused restraint, discipline and discernment and Netzach's determined perseverance, we can plant our crops, eat locally, share our bounty, and succeed!

"The week of Gevurah gives us the opportunity to reveal, embrace, and more deeply understand our inner and outer strengths," states the website of the Kehilla Community Synagogue of Piedmont, California. "As we count the Omer, we will see that Gevurah is essential for the health and well-being of our personal lives, our communities and the world."

According to a March 29 article on Massachusetts farming by Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh, there are about 7,700 farms inMassachusetts that employ about 12,000 workers, contributing about $492 million to the state's economy. They help to preserve more than half a million acres of land as open space, and being small, don't utilize big factory-farm practices. Only one uses cramped "battery cages" for hens, and none use pig or veal crates. And those farms, which are mostly small operations, don’t employ the objectionable practices of big factory farms. Thirty-two percent are owned by women. There are eight buy-local organizations in the state, and Boston Area Gleaners is has about 700 volunteers who pick surplus crops and distribute the food to low-income communities. Indeed, the "buy local" movement has become a social phenomenon, with a notable proliferation of farmers' markets, restaurants featuring local fare, the revamping of school menus and programming to promote local foods, farm stands, pick-your-own produce sites, and community-supported agriculture. And why not? The food is fresher, you know where it came from, it tastes great, and by eating local, you help support the local economy as well as Massachusetts cities and towns.

In addition to eight seasonal farmers’ markets currently operating in Greater Boston, an indoor, public local food market is set to open in 2014 on Blackstone Street in downtown Boston. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resource’s website includes a map of local food sites and other information, but according to Lehigh, supermarkets and grocery stores, need a "nudge."

Action: Think about how you might help to get more local produce onto supermarket shelves. Imagine becoming involved in a local agricultural project and helping to expand their programming into a local school. The aim will be to empower young students to lead their families toward healthier and locally-grown diets.

Day 10: Tiferet b’Gevurah

Day Three of Week 2 (10th day of Omer): Tiferet in Gevurah

by Susie Davidson

The aspects of Tiferet are harmony, compassion and mercy. "Tiferet is a blueprint for change, and how your plan for change takes into account the need for balance—both internally and with others.” (Chabad.org) In order for our desired change to manifest, we need reserves of Gevurah's discipline and careful planning. We need its restraint as well, so as to keep our plans attainable and effective. “How far and wide will the change be? When is the change best timed for? And do you need and have support?” It is about formulating your plan and putting your determination into actuality.

Tiferet is about the self-love and determination that help one to achieve and manifest our goals - and balance. These aspects can be most effectively combined with the restraint and discipline of Gevurah.

Agriculture certainly entails harmony in the layout of the rows of planting, the balance of crops, the melding of varied harvested foods. Each sheath of a grain is harmoniously designed. Agriculture requires compassionate, careful planning in order to treat the Earth with respect. Here, I recall the Torah-directed mitzvah of Shmita – letting our fields rest once every seven years. This aligns with the seven days of this week of the Omer.

With great discipline, and restrained, carefully-planned action, we can work the soil in a thoughtful manner to grow the barley and grains and all of the gifts of produce that will sustain and enrich our bodies and minds.

Action: Study biblical methods of farming, and contrast with modern machine-driven, pesticide-oriented agriculture. Think about or research ways by which we can improve these modern systems so as to reflect original methods of growing our food.

List hazardous by-products of modern agriculture, and suggest ways that they might be mitigated through other methods of production. How can we spread these ideas, perhaps through online petitions aimed at agricultural conglomerates and corporations?

Day 9: Gevurah b'Gevurah

by Susie Davidson

Day Two of Week 2 (9th day of Omer): Gevurah in Gevurah

Focus, discipline, restraint, determination, careful measure - times two. This is steadfastness in the face of challenge. Michael Zank, who teaches biblical studies at Boston University's Department of Religion and is Director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies, writes in his book Approaches to Ancient Judaism that the epithet Gevurah “refers to that which makes the hero (gibbor) a hero.” Zank writes that the root gv”r, in biblical as well as rabbinic literature, is associated with masculinity.

Gever meaning "man," and gibbor, "hero" – that's one powerful combination that to me is not gender-specific. We can all possess this power and utilize it in ways that benefit the planet and its people. Power has different connotations. In physics, it is the amount of energy consumed per unit time. We power all our technological devices with energy sources. Power, in the social sciences and political spheres, signifies an ability to influence peoples' actions and behavior.

In agriculture, power plays a role in farming equipment and the man- or woman-power needed to work the soil and produce its bounty.

Clearly, there is a danger of abusing power to control, rather than influence. It is best to influence others by good example. Zank goes on to link Gevurah to “the power of horses and...the manly deeds of kings and G-d.” He states that he relates "power," to the Greek abstract noun dynamis, as it was comprehended by Greek-speaking ancient Jews. “When translating the divine epithet (hag-gevurah), I render it as 'The Power,'” he writes.

Actions: So what do we do with all this power? This 9th day of Omer is opportune to performing an action for the good of the earth. Organize a public event, promote an environmental cause. In a disciplined way, plan the action carefully, so that it will be most effective.


It's spring! Envision yourself leading a workshop on organic gardening, or giving a talk on how we can personally counter climate change in our daily lives and behavior. List earth-friendly ways of living that we can adhere to with discipline and power, acting in our own way to save the planet.book Approaches to Ancient Judaism that the epithet Gevurah “refers to that which makes the hero (gibbor) a hero.” Zank writes that the root gv”r, in biblical as well as rabbinic literature, is associated with masculinity.

Day 8: Chesed b'Gevurah

This week we welcome Susie Davidson as she writes about Gevurah in the context of agriculture, intrinsic to the human relationship with the Earth. Susie  is a poet, journalist, author, and filmmaker who writes regularly for the Jewish Advocate, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Cambridge Chronicle and other media. She has also contributed to the Boston Sunday Globe, the Boston Herald and the Jerusalem Post, and Ha'aretz. She has written three books about local Holocaust survivors. Susie is Coordinator of the Boston chapter of The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and a board member of the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action.

As we travel with Susie through this second week of the Omer, from Chesed to Malchut, may each of us feel our strength increasing and becoming more solidly embedded in our hearts and souls. Welcome to Week Two of the Omer.

Rabbi Katy Allen

Introducing Gevurah 

An omer, which literally means a “sheaf,” is a unit of measure. In the Temple days, it was a grain offering, specifically, barley. As stated in Leviticus 23:15, we count these units for 49 days, or seven weeks, from the second night of Passover to the night before Shavuot. Passover marks the Exodus from Egypt, but we were not truly redeemed from slavery until we received the Torah at Mount Sinai, now celebrated on Shavuot. The counting period is a time of preparation for the Torah, the greatest object and culmination of our desires.

The sefira of the second week is Gevurah. Gevurah is characterized by restraint, discipline, and discernment, and measure, which is most appropriate to the context of the Omer. The word gevurah is composed of the root letters gimmel, bet and heh. These letters also form the word gever, which means “man,” and geveret, which means “woman.” Other words that share the root letters include "hero," "strength," and the protagonist character in a story.

Day One of Week 2 (8th day of Omer): Chesed b'Gevurah


Compassion and loving kindness combine here with restraint, discipline and discernment – with a measure of barley or a harvested grain. What is more basic to nourishment than recently-harvested grains? Just last week, a friend made me a pot of barley, onion and lentil soup. Right away, I can relate to and appreciate the measure of counting that our biblical ancestors adopted to fulfill this mitzvah and this aspect of agriculture.

“If love (chesed) is the bedrock of human expression, discipline (gevurah) is the channels through which we express love. It gives our life and love direction and focus.” (Chabad.org) Gevurah also signifies respect and awe, and a healthy love includes respect. Discipline and measure. Focus. Health. There's that barley soup! Barley soup is intrinsic to Jewish cookery. If we are measuring our behavior, we are also measuring ingredients for sustenance, in this case, nutritious food needed for survival, harvested from the earth, and shared out of loving kindness. In making this offering, we are tending to the sacred earth we were given, while helping others to be healthy, to thrive, to be strong, and to attain the greatest state of being.

Chesed is love in all its forms. We love the earth, and each other through feeding and nourishment, which, for a mother and for the mother in all of us, is a supreme form of love.

I see restraint, focus and discipline as crucial practices utilized both in tilling the soil, planting, irrigating and producing crops, as well as in the preparation of a recipe of healthful and energy-giving ingredients - as opposed to throwing processed junk food on someone's plate. Our food is the basis of our health and endurance. “We are what we eat” is a truism that manifests in our behavior toward others and toward our planet. Food is a form of love, it was given to us by G-d, and in all of its forms, is holy. The fruits of agriculture involve working with G-d's earth, respectfully harvesting its bounty, preparing the harvested ingredients, and sharing this prepared food with others. When we share nutritious grains together, we are one. It is a very high form of care and respect.

Actions: Exercise and practice – plan a carefully-measured recipe of healthful grains and other natural ingredients that you could serve to others for an upcoming gathering. Research how you might begin to grow some of your own food – even in a window-box garden.

Day Seven: Malkut b'Chesed

by Rabbi Judy Weiss

Malkut: majestic dignity and unity of all with loyalty

Talmud Sotah 30b: How did all Israel know the words to the song? 

When the Israelites ascended from the Red Sea, they desired to sing a song (Exodus 15:1). How did they sing it? Like an adult who reads the Hallel (Psalms 113-118) and they respond with the leading word, “Halleujah”. Moses sang, “I will sing to the Lord,” and they answered, “I will sing to the Lord.” Moses sang, “For He triumphed gloriously,” and they sang in response, “I will sing to the Lord.”

Alternatively, it was like a child who reads the Hallel, and they repeat after him all he says. Moses sang, “I will sing to the Lord,” and they answered, “I will sing to the Lord.” Moses sang, “For He triumphed gloriously,” and they sang, “For He triumphed gloriously.”

Or it was like a schoolteacher who recites the Shema prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). He begins first and they sing it along with him (instinctively catching on).

Question: The event just happened. If they sang a song of spontaneous joy and gratitude for an event that had just happened, how did they all know the words? Three answers are given. Which answer involves pure repetition of all of Moses’ song? Which is responsive? Which is magical? Which do you think would express the most dignity and unity of spirit?

Climate: Scientists have a hard time talking to the general public about their climate change research results, and the public has a hard time hearing and repeating the information accurately. Part of the problem is that technical scientific terms carry nuances that the press and the public misunderstand. 

For example, scientists speak about increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and the EPA wants to regulate it as a pollutant. Next thing you know people say silly things like “carbon dioxide in the atmosphere isn’t pollution, it is natural.” Or they say, “We all produce carbon dioxide when we exhale.” These undignified statements don’t approach scientists with the respect, trust and loyalty we owe them. 

One thing these statements misunderstand is that when scientists measure atmospheric CO₂, they can also tell the origins of the CO₂. Carbon dioxide molecules that come from the burning of fossil fuels are heavier than naturally occurring CO₂.

In an attempt to improve communication of scientific climate change conclusions to the public, US National Academy of Sciences and their British counterpart have published a brief guide to climate change.  Read their guide. 

Action:  Watch an episode of Numb3rs titled “Chinese Box” (season 4, episode 10) in which the mathematician Charlie knows something as certainly as he can know it, and knows that however he tries to explain it to the FBI, his words will fail to convey the truth of what he knows. 

Action: Go to a climate change rally and notice different types of chants song at the rally to get attention and boost community spirit. Which are responsive, which repeat the leader’s words, and which chants are sung in unison? Do they all have the same feel for you?

Day Six: Y’sod b’Chesed

by Rabbi Judy Weiss

Y’sod: loyalty stemming from connection and communication

Midrash: Rabbi Yohanan once asked his students to describe the appearance of the walls of the Red Sea when the waters parted for the children of Israel to cross. When none could do so, Rabbi Yohanan described them as resembling a window lattice. Then, all at once, they heard a voice say: “No, it was not like that at all!” And when they looked up, they saw the face of a very old woman peering in the window of the house of study. “Who are you?” demanded Rabbi Yohanan. “I am Serah bat Asher,” came the reply, “and I know exactly what the walls resembled. I was there, I crossed the Red Sea—and they resembled shining mirrors, mirrors in which every man, woman and child was reflected, so that it seemed like an even greater multitude crossed there, not only those of the present, but also those of the past and future as well.” And when Serah had finished speaking, none dared contradict her, for her knowledge was firsthand. (See Jill Hammer, Omer Calendar of Biblical Women, 2012, page 13, translation by Howard Schwartz, Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, 2004, paragraph 486.)

Question: How does seeing a scene through window lattices rather than with mirrors change one’s sense of connection? At Passover seder we reflect ourselves back in time to the original Exodus, and we mirror them forward into our time. How do the mirrors increase our sense of connection, compassion and loyalty?

Climate Change: will lead to massive resettlement due to rising seas in some locales and drought and lack of food in other regions.

Research “Migration with Dignity” by reading about the Island Nation of Kirbati (thought to be the first nation to lose its home to rising seas) and their climate change plans forresettlement. They have bought land in Fiji to resettle their nation of more than 100,000 people and attempt to maintain a sense of community and connection even as they leave their homeland.

Also read Thomas Friedman on Syria, more than 1,000,000 Syrian farmers, herders and their families refugees from the land, and climate change, and relief work here.

Action: In January 2014, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof asked his readers what news topic did they think was inadequately covered. Readers responded to his question with a clear communication: CLIMATE CHANGE. So Kristof will be writing frequently this year about Climate change. Here is his first article announcing the winning (or losing) topic. Can you and your friends and family use your network of connections to help all of Kristof’s climate change articles go viral?

Day Five: Hod b’Chesed

by Rabbi Judy Weiss

Hod: loyalty based in gratitude and humility

Talmudic Midrash: Megillah 10b The ministering angels wanted to chant their hymns of praise and rejoice when Israel finished crossing the sea, but the Holy One said “The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and shall you chant hymns?

Question: To save Israel, God split the sea and then allowed it to crash down again drowning the Pharaoh and his troops. Why would God be sad? If God could foresee that buried plant and animal remains could turn into fossil fuels, be mined and drilled and heat the planet, why didn’t God prevent it? Can our use of fossil fuels make God pleased and regretful at the same time?

Climate Change: the oceans protect us We can be grateful that the oceans have protected us by absorbing much of the carbon dioxide we emitted. However, the ability of the oceans to absorb CO2 is going to decrease as the waters warm, leading to faster increases in atmospheric CO2 and faster warming, and an acceleration in sea level rise. Do you know which areas of the US will be affected by rising seas?

Check this map of US cities that will be sorely affected by rising seas.

Here is an international map of cities to suffer:

Question: If you live inland, do humility and loyalty keep you from rejoicing that rising sea levels won’t hurt you?

Action: Most people read newspapers and blogs that agree with their general outlook. However, it is an act of humility to read a publication with an outlook different from yours, and consider how its viewpoint might be justifiable. Whatever type of newspaper you usually read (liberal, conservative, local, or big city), read a different type. Try to get into the mindset of that new paper, its editor and readers. Write a letter to the editor about climate change every day until you are published.

Day Four: Netzach b’Chesed

Netzach: endurance and decisiveness generating loyalty

Midrash: Mekhilta de Rabbi Yishmael
(translation by David Stern, JPS publication, 1993, pp 155-156)

When the Israelites stood at the sea, one said: “I do not want to go down to the sea first,” and the other also said: “I do not want to go down to the sea first,” as it is said (Hosea 12:1): “Ephraim compasseth Me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit.”  While they were standing there deliberating, Nahshon ben Amminadab jumped up first and went down to the sea and fell into the waves. Of him (Nahshon) it is said: “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in even unto the soul (neck); I am sunk in deep mire and where there is no standing; I am come into deep waters, and the flood overwhelmth me.” (Psalm 69:2-3)

Question: What makes Nahshon a leader in this story? How does the midrash teach he was willing to take risks? Why do you think he was able to act decisively?  What enabled him to endure until the waters receded and Israel could pass through?

Climate Change: long term CO2 impacts
The carbon dioxide we emit today endures in the atmosphere between 50 to 200 years, and thus contributes to global warming for a long time, even after we stop emitting. Other atmospheric greenhouse gases last a shorter time but are more powerful at warming the planet. However, climate change action focuses on carbon dioxide because the sheer volume of CO2 emitted is enormous compared to the volume of other gases emitted.

What does the long endurance of CO2 in the atmosphere have to do with oceans?

CO2stays in the atmosphere until it is absorbed by the oceans or used by trees as they grow. The amount of CO2 that is “sunk” in tree growth is only temporary (until the tree decays or is burned). The CO2 absorbed by the ocean fills the upper layers of the ocean but it takes a long time for it to be permanently “sunk” in ocean beds.
Because of the long lasting nature of CO2 emissions, they will cause more warming than we see now,  working like delayed action capsules. Some projections estimate that by 2050 atmospheric CO2 will reach 600 ppm and by 2100 it will hit 950 ppm, even though scientists warn that 350 ppm is probably the safest upper limit for atmospheric CO2.
Action: Senator Whitehouse has made weekly speeches on climate change for a year. Listen to his 1/7/14 speech dealing with harm to the Oceans, 

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and also watch his fiftieth weekly speech marking one year of making speeches on climate change from the floor of the Senate. 
Send Senator Whitehouse a thank you note for his decisive and enduring actions to save the world. Send a copy to your Senators asking them to work with him to make decisive climate action happen.