Counting the Days
“Standing on the parted shores, we still believe what we were taught before ever we stood at Sinai’s foot; that wherever we go, it is eternally Egypt; that there is a better place, a promised land; that the winding way to that promise passes through the wilderness. That there is no way to get from here to there except by joining hands, marching together”. – Michael Walzer, adapted from Exodus and Revolution
The road to freedom is long and winding, and feels very far off. And strangely, this year the secular calendar (or rather the government's road map to the easing of lockdown) follows the journey of the Hebrew calendar closely. On the second night of Pesach we began counting the Omer, the seven week period that ties the Exodus at Pesach to the giving of the Torah on Shavuot, which this year falls on the evening of 16th May. The idea behind this counting is to prepare spiritually for the giving of the Torah (although originally, it tied two grain harvests together).
Traditionally it is also a period of semi-mourning, as some attribute it to a plague that killed more than 24.000 students of the famous Rabbi Akiva in the 1st century CE. During this period it was forbidden to have a haircut, conduct weddings, participate in large parties and dinners. What a strange coincidence this year, that the Omer count coincides exactly with the easing of lockdown, as we all (hopefully) move towards more social freedom. When we celebrate Tikkun Leil Shavuot on 16th May, we can also celebrate that the following day we can invite small groups of people inside our homes again.
The Jewish view on freedom is shown in the above quote by Michael Walzer, it is both a freedom to, and a freedom from. It is not about absolute freedom to do whatever I want, or freedom from any responsibility, but rather a freedom in relation to others, and a responsibility to others. And freedom is not a static state, something we have achieved once and for all. It is an ongoing journey towards a better place, a promised land, through the wilderness. For now we have to do that journey in stages, with a few milestones coming up on the horizon, but crucially, no matter how desperate we are, to keep to the guidelines, and to march together, so that we can all reach Shavuot and 17th May.
If you want to count the Omer you can find more information in How to Count the Omer, or if you would like to try a new creative and spiritual way "Color the Omer" uses mindfulness and Jewish wisdom
Moadim L’simcha and Shabbat Shalom