We’re in the last week of “The Omer”, or the period of the counting of the Omer, between Pesach and Shavuot. The Kabbalists consider it a special time of inner growth and describe how every week is associated with one of the seven lower sefirot (“Jewish chakras” 😊):

1. Chesed(loving-kindness),
2. Gevurah(might),
3. Tipheret(beauty),
4. Netzach(victory),
5. Hod(acknowledgment),
6. Yesod(foundation),
7. Malchut(kingdom).

Each day of each week is also associated with one of these same seven sefirot, creating forty-nine combinations. The first day of the Omer is therefore associated with “chesed that is in chesed” (loving-kindness within loving-kindness, i.e. extra loving kindness), the second day with “gevurah that is in chesed” (might within loving-kindness) etc… Today, the first day of the seventh week is therefore associated with “chesed that is in malchut” (loving-kindness within kingdom), and it “happens” to be Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day.

This day, commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem after June 1967 Six-Day War. The day is officially marked by state ceremonies, parades, dancing and memorial services. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day a minor religious holiday to mark the regaining of access to the Western Wall.

I am intrigued by the fact that Jerusalem as such is not mentioned in the Torah. We would think that the site of the Temple is of incredibly great important and that we will get very specific instructions how to not miss the exact spot. But we didn’t. So either, everyone knew, and therefore there was no need to say, or, maybe, it was purposefully not stated. This means that there is a time and a place for not mentioning something, and that contrary to our times, where we somehow believe that everything should be “open”, there’s maybe, a time for a “secret”, for things that are closed for now and will be open once we work at it. It also means the search in and off itself has meaning in this process, and that it is not only about the final result of arrival at the spot, but of inquiring, demanding to discover, being actively interested in it. More on this at this morning’s Shabbat drash at Beth Jacob Oakland, CA:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMvoafaQZ8Q

Best wishes and Shabbat Shalom.