Last summer, while in New York, I had the privilege of visiting Tobi Kahn’s art studio. Tobi is a world-renowned artist, painter, and sculptor whose work has been shown in over 70 solo museum exhibitions, with pieces in major collections like the Guggenheim, The Jewish Museum of New York and now the Boca Raton Museum of Art. What struck me most wasn’t his accolades (which are many), it was him. He is a love, a mensch and an amazing teacher. He is deeply rooted in Judaism and his appreciation and admiration for ritual, tradition and sacred space comes alive through his art.
This visit came as a result of an exciting partnership between Temple Beth El’s Friends of Music and the Arts and the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Cantor Lori, myself and Ena Heller, CEO of the museum, are working together to create meaningful programs, for our upcoming season, to highlight the work of Jewish artists through learning and music.
When I walked into Tobi’s studio, everywhere I turned, beauty surrounded me. His artistic interpretations of ritual pieces spoke both the language of tradition fused with a modern perspective of the sacred. I noticed one piece in particular mounted on the wall with distinct shapes protruding from it. I found myself drawn in. I stepped closer and without even thinking I started to count the pieces. As I was getting close to 49, Tobi walked over and said, “The Omer counter. I’m so glad you found it.” I had never seen anything like it. Each piece was shaped a little differently but they fit together as part of a whole.
It displayed the days of the Omer not for information purposes but intended as an experience. I listened as he explained how he had envisioned it and the intention behind each detail. His Omer counter makes this spiritual practice visible and tangible. Each piece represents a day. I love that as you remove each piece you hold the day in your hand while recalling the moments that formed it. It’s a reminder that spiritual life isn’t abstract, it’s built one incremental piece at a time.
Tonight, that piece, SAPHYR, will be displayed on our bimah at Temple Beth El. We will have the opportunity to hear from Tobi Kahn, by video, about how his Omer counter came to be and what it means to him.
We will read from Parshat Emor which lists the days of holiness that create the calendar of the Jewish year. Among them is the counting of the Omer. Tonight as we gather for Shabbat we will count day 30, shloshim, in Hebrew.
The number, 30, shloshim, is associated with strength, koach. The Mishnah teaches that at age 30, a person reaches a fullness of strength. Shloshim also names the 30 day period of mourning after someone dies. That time is structured with care and sensitivity. After shiva, shloshim begins to reintroduce a person into the world. Traditionally, mourners return to work and begin to resume parts of their routine. At the end of those 30 days, there’s a shift, not an ending of grief but rather a transition. It is a recognition that life continues, even as something essential has changed. According to the mystical tradition the 30th day of the Omer is focused on hod, humility. We are carrying strength and humility, in the same breath.
The spiritual practice of the Omer asks us to count each day. Not to rush through, not to skip ahead, but to notice each day during this period from Passover, liberation, to Shavuot, revelation. Counting is powerful. It’s one of the first things we learn to do. It gives us structure. We learn to count numbers, how old we are, how many friends we have in our class. Over time, we start counting achievements, obligations and outcomes. The ritual of counting the Omer reorients us and asks us to count presence, growth, and to mark the moments of soulful living.
One day at a time, in ascending order, we count upwards to receiving the light of Torah. Each day we mark is distinct, like the pieces in Tobi’s Omer counter. They take on their own shape, yet they fit together, expressing the beauty that each individual day holds; the potential, the blessings, the joy, and the opportunity for growth. To count our days is to live them with a measure of awareness.
Over Shabbat, invite this practice of counting into your home in a simple and intentional way.
Recite the blessing:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam, Asher Kidshanu B’mitzvotav Vetzivanu Al Sefirat Ha’Omer.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Author of the Universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Say the words: Today is 30 days, which is four weeks and two days of the Omer.
If you’re with others, go around and have each person share one thing from their day that they want to count. It could be a moment of patience, a conversation that mattered, an awesome hug or a moment of the best belly laugh. It could be a moment of you feeling empowered by your inner strength or even a challenging moment that you are still reflecting on. Count the moment. If you’re by yourself, take that moment for yourself. Share the moment out loud or write it down. Mark it in whatever way feels authentic to you.
Our tradition is teaching us, through the sacred practice of the Omer, that counting is not just about getting to the next number, it’s about honoring the days and moments that make up the beauty of one’s life.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Laila Haas
