Sunday Iyar 4, 5703 19th day of the Omer **
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Emor, First Parsha with Rashi. Tehillim: 23-28. Tanya: Ch. 46. There is yet (p. 241)...love for him. (p. 241).

It is a Jewish custom not to shave or cut a baby boy's hair until his third birthday.

The first haircutting or Opsherenish of a baby boy is a Jewish custom of great importance.

The essence of the custom is the educational act of leaving (uncut) the Peyot (sidelocks).

From the day of the haircutting and leaving the Peyot it is the custom to take particular care in accustoming the little boy to wear a Tallit Katan, to recite the early-morning B'rachot, the Grace after Meals (Birkat Hamazon p. 89) and the bedtime Sh'ma (p. 118).

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Day five of week 3

Hod of tiferet

Compassion must include humility for it not to be condescending and pretentious. Hod is recognizing that my ability to be compassionate and giving does not make me better than the recipient; it is the acknowledgement and appreciation that by creating one who needs compassion G-d gave me the gift of being able to bestow compassion. Thus there is no place for haughtiness in compassion. Do I feel superior because I am compassionate? Do I look down at those that need my compassion? Am I humble and thankful to G-d for giving me the ability to have compassion for others?

Exercise for the day: Express compassion in an anonymous fashion, not taking any personal credit.

From:

A Spiritual Guide to the counting of the Omer

Forty-Nine Steps to Personal Refinement

The Forty-Nine Days of Sefirah

by Simon Jacobson

$7.95 Soft Cover

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