April 28, 2023 / 8 Iyyar 5783
וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃
be loving to your neighbor [as one] like yourself;
I am YHWH!
[Leviticus 19:18]
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Opening of Parashat Kedoshim; Bodleian Library MS Kennicott 1; ‘The Kennicott Bible’; 1476 CE; La Coruña, Spain; ff.68v, 70r
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We’ve just begun week four of ‘Omer Counting (the practice of counting the 49 days between Pesah – Passover – and Shavuot, assigning to each day one of forty night different aspects of divinity). Netzach – strength, determination, endurance – is the central middah – divine quality or characteristic – of this week.
NETZACH 2023: Striving, Surviving and Thriving by Ilene Wasserman
The counting of the OMER is one of my favorite rituals. It is an opportunity to, in community with you, explore the paradoxes of the qualities of the divine with humility, for the growing and developing humans we are.
So, this year I chose to explore Netzach with you. How shall we understand Netzach together? As I understand it, Netzach communicates the idea of strength, endurance and perseverance. And this year, I am exploring what it means to hold the themes of endurance and strength along with noticing what is enough. I am exploring this in my personal habits, my relationships with family, friends, and community as well as my relationship to my professional life.
A few years ago, I decided to train for a sprint triathlon. I was so excited to be able to join a dear friend who did sprint triathlons as a matter of regular practice. It was also a commitment I made coming out of treatment for breast cancer some years back to convey to myself that I was in full recovery.
The day came. I had rehearsed. I even had a dress rehearsal the prior week. All was good – except for the conditions. Earlier that week, I began to manifest an upper respiratory infection. No problem. There are medicines for that! The day of the event, the weather was unseasonably cold.
I jumped into the water (swimming is my strong suit) and suddenly could not breathe. My response was to push past the messages I was receiving from my body. I struggled a bit, got out of the water, was checked out by an EMT and, despite suggestions to the contrary, I got on the bike. At the 8-mile marker, I was approached by a woman who asked if I needed help. I now realize she was an angel disguised as my lifesaver.
When is enough enough?
In our lives we are encouraged to endure. We are challenged to be strong in the face of adversity. We live with the stories of our ancestors. Had they not endured, we may not be here. So how do we balance striving, driving with surviving and thriving? In what ways do we push to “do enough” and to “be enough” and when do we need to pause and recognize “we are enough”. When do we pause and listen to the angels within and around us.
The week of Netzach invites us to explore this balance.
How do we practice netzach with hesed, loving kindness with ourselves and others?
How do we practice netzach with gevurah, knowing our boundaries and limits?
How do we practice netzach with tiferet, with harmony and balance for our drive energy – our emotions and passion and our sensibilities to contain ourselves?
How do we practice netzach with netzach, strength and endurance with strength and endurance?
How do we practice netzach with hod, with presence and awareness noticing our striving, thriving and surviving: knowing when to push and when to be still?
How do we practice netzach with yesod, bonding and connecting with others and to all that came before this moment that supports endurance and strength?
How do we practice netzach with malchut, recognize the divine presence that surrounds us and lives within us as our partner and guide in this process?
I will join you this week in noticing and gently and lovingly exploring the paradox of driving, striving, surviving and thriving in the many dimensions of relationships I hold with gratitude: family, friends, community and work. When and how to be fully in – and when and how to pause.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David
