Sefira – completely new!

Sefira:  סְלַח לָֽנוּ, Forgive us!

There is a concept we can learn about sefira that is taught by the Shem Mishmuel.  He says that even if a person somehow does not feel the purpose and the purification process of the sefirah, he must approach this Mitzvah with emunah in the reliability of “The Craftsman” of his neshama to know and rely on the fact that the root of his neshama goes through a purification with the counting of the sefirah. It is an absolute!  The Anshei Knesses Hagidola organized the sefira counting in our davening to make us ready to receive the gift of our Torah at the time of matan Torah.  The sefira counting has no significance or meaning other than for purification of our neshamos!   The sefira  accomplishes what it does, or what it is meant to do. Those people that put in a little effort to understand  will derive a little,  and for those who put in that much more work , and who understand it, will access that much more.  And there are those who will attain purification to the root of one’s neshama, and those even to their nefesh of one’s neshama.

Knowing that tahara, purification happens directly from Hashem, Our Creator as an absolute with this special Mitzvah of sefira, so that we are able to receive the Torah without limitations imposed on us,  provides great chizuk, support, and strengthening for a person to choose to begin as completely new!

This is the idea of the verse in tehillim (130:4) כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא.  Yours is the power to forgive, so that You may be held in awe.  (Shem Mishmuel , Shavuos, 3:11[1])  Concept taught by Harav Simcha L Weinberg, n’’y on Sefira 2022

 

Kavana:

סְלַח לָֽנוּ: I can rely on Hashem’s forgiveness, so that I can begin as a brand new person, without the negatives of the past through the process of Tahara.  כִּי מוֹחֵל וְסוֹלֵֽחַ אָֽתָּה  Hashem Himself, provides this to us during Sefira.

 

 

 

 

 

[1] וממוצא דבר שאף אדם שאינו מרגיש בתועלת וטהרת הספירה יש לו להאמין באמונת אומן ששורש נשמתו נטהר בהכרח, מאחר שאנשי כנסת הגדולה סדרו לנו בתפילה זמן מתן חורתינו שאין לו משמעות אלא הטהרה כנ”ל מוכרח לומר שהספירה עשתה את שלה על כל פנים אלא שלזה מעט ולזה הרבה ולזה בשורש נשמתו לבד ולזה אף בנפש, וזה נותן חיזוק גדול ביד איש להתחיל מחדש לגמרי וכעין מ”ש ז”ל בפסוק כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא