Counting the Omer: Week 4

Week of Netzach (נצח) Eternity/Endurance

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

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

Photo by Michal Janek on Unsplash

Remember that each week there is a “lead” sefira and each of the others is put “within” that lead. 

The fourth week of the Omer focuses on Netzach.  This sephira is usually interpreted as Eternity, Endurance, or even Victory. So that means we've journeyed from Chesed (Loving Kindness) to Gevurah (Strength) to Tifereth (Beauty/Compassion) and now to Endurance/Victory. Netzach is a sephira of action.  These are actions of compassion, but are often achieved through negative experiences. Netzach is the power to overcome obstacles.

This third week, which explores Tiferet (Beauty, Compassion, Loving Kindness),  looks like this:

1. Loving-kindness within Endurance/Eternity

2. Strength within Endurance/Eternity

3. Compassion (Beauty) within Endurance/Eternity

4. Endurance within Endurance/Eternity

5. Glory within Endurance/Eternity

6. Connection within Endurance/Eternity

7. Majesty within Endurance/Eternity

What does Loving Kindness within Victory mean in our lives and the world? How does that change if you interpret Netzach as Enduring, Endurance, or Eternity? How does it help you rethink the concept of Victory? What does Endurance mean when experienced through strength or beauty?  This is a good week to think about what you are willing to do to achieve your goals.  What ends justify what means?  What are you willing to endure to achieve your goals?  Are the ends worth and worthy of what you will endure?

The question to ask with each, is "What does this mean to me?"  Each day, explore what the idea of sephira within a sephira triggers for you.  How is Loving-Kindness (Chesed) within  Endurance (Netzach) different than Endurance (Netzach) within Loving-Kindness (Chesed)?

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 Netzach

Exploring Netzach:

• Telshemesh: Omer Calendar of Biblical Women

• To Bend the Light: Week 4

• Inner: Netzach

• Aish: Netzach & Hod

• Wikipedia: Netzach

• Chabad: Week 4, Netzach

• Dvorah Horn: Omer Paintings

Omer Resources

• Kohenet Community Offerings

  • Counting the Omer (Telshemesh)

  • Omer Calendar of Biblical Women (Telshemesh)

  • Omer Calendar of Biblical Women Book by Rav Kohenet Rabbi Jill Hammer (Ayin Press)

  • Abel & Grain (Telshemesh)

  • Omer Oracle (Nomy Teaches)

  • Diving Pleasure Omer Oracle (Taya Mâ)

• Wider Jewish Community Offerings

  • How to Design an Artistic Counting Practice (Ritual Well)

  • Counting the Omer (My Jewish Learning)

  • 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)

• Omer Calendars

  • Devotaj Omer Calendar Board (Pinterest)

  • Omer Calendar of Biblical Women (Telshemesh)

  • Omer Calendar of Biblical Women Book by Rav Kohenet Rabbi Jill Hammer (Ayin Press)

  • Rami Shapiro Omer Calendar (dropbox)

  • Omer Calendar Coloring Book (amazon)

  • The ‘Homer’ Calendar (website)

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