hazzan Diana Brewer was ordained through the aleph ordination program. she leads prayer services regularly at the jewish community of amherst, and is on the staff of the davvenen leadership training institute.

Omer Day 12 הוד שבגבורה Hod SheBiG’vurah

Space. Glory. Awe. Gratitude. Within Strength. Boundaries. Structure. Power.

Tonight it is the Space aspect of Hod that draws me in. I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps it is because  despite the fact that I can often lack a sense of Spaciousness in my very full life, recently I have been very aware of having just that -  a miraculous Spaciousness to my days. 

My life has many facets. MANY. I recently was asked to write about my current work life for a program I’m applying for. I’m not going to reproduce the essay here, but suffice it to say that seeing it in black & white made me think, “Really???” It’s not that all of my various work ventures need constant tending every day, but there are quite a few of them, and usually something needs tending to. And that’s just the work life! Of course, I have my family life, my study life, my spiritual life... You can see how I could easily lack a sense of Spaciousness.

How is it that I manage to have Space in my life at all?  It’s not an accident. I put effort into it. It requires putting Boundaries around things, saying no sometimes, making sure that I remember to make Space for keeping up with my course reading, for taking a 10 minute walk at lunch time, for picking up the phone for a friend in need, for enjoying a little time with (or nearby) my daughter in the schoolyard on a sunny day (remember those?).

It takes effort - Strength - to create Space for life to come in. When I do that, the Gratitude comes in, and I am in Awe of what can be done with 24 hours, 7-8 of which are spent sleeping, while still feeling like life is manageable.

May you have Space in your day. May the Structures you have in your life support your Gratitude and Awe for what is possible. 

Omer Day 13 יסוד שבגבורה Yesod SheBiG’vurah

Omer Day 11 נצח שבגבורה Netzach SheBiG’vurah