Day 38: All for One and One for all

BLESSING FOR COUNTING THE OMER:

Baruch ata Adonai, ELOHEYNU melech ha-olam, asher kiddeshanu bidvarecha

v’tzi-va-noo al sifeerat ha-omer.  

Blessed are you, O Adonai our GOD, King of the universe Who has sanctified us by your Word and commanded us concerning the Counting of the Omer. 

Today is thirty-eight days, which is five weeks and three days of the Omer.

Today, we are examining Harmony within Bonding.

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, …” Rom. 12:4-6

One of the concepts that is pulled out of this verse is that there is a divine partnership with each other. It is not the absence of conflict, for all the members are different and they all have varying gifts that build the whole. We view it as a bonding into one (which is echad) where diverse individuals function as one in unity. We observe this in our opening verses of Numbers:

"Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,” Num. 1:2

The LORD has spoken to Moses to take a census of the whole Israelite community. The purpose was to create an army of one people, of one mind, against an impending enemy. Were there disagreements and quite possibly arguments with each other in opinions and thoughts about this and that? Most probably yes! But when it came time to link arms and go against a shared enemy, that bond became strong again, which no man could break.

What are we at war against? Our enemy is led by the accuser. As a people of God, we need to be in community. It is important to be of one Godly mind. We need to draw our strength from the Torah, understanding what God expects from us on a daily basis, personally, as well as what he expects us to be in community. Everyone is not expected to have the same personality or talents! But we are expected to put those diverse talents and strengths together to achieve a shared purpose. True harmony is achieved when we respect others, even during disagreements, where we can reflect love to another… agree to disagree.

Harmony/Bonding and love act as binding forces that hold a community together as one.

Father, we come before you and ask you to strengthen our community. Work through us, help us to help others in bridging differences and implementing an air of shalom, one of wholeness and holiness. May we help direct others on a path of common, shared purpose with eyes only focused on what You want and need to accomplish in our short lives here on earth, within this community You have blessed us with. In Yeshua’s Holy Name. Amen