Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

[...]

"Agriculturally, [the counting of the Omer is] about the barley harvest (Omer can be translated as 'sheaf'). Theologically, it's a time of wandering, fear and uncertainty-the liminal time bw leaving the (terrible, but familiar) Egypt but before receiving Torah and clarity about what moving forward will be.

"That certainly describes us now, eh? We have left behind a way of life that was familiar and known, and now we are in this fearful time in the middle, knowing that something will be profoundly different for those of us who make it to the next chapter, but not yet sure What that will be, and whether it will be harder, more deadly for us, or, finally, a different kind of freedom than we’ve ever had.

"I hope and pray that it is the latter

"On the 33rd day of the Omer [...] we celebrate Lag B'Omer—a time of bonfires, first haircuts, and lots of weddings.

"They say many of Rabbi Akiva's students recovered then. Or maybe a battle in the revolt went well.

"We have to pause and celebrate the moments of success and relief now, even when things are so hard. We need to seek joy and respite when we can."

-- Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg (TheRaDR), 2020-04-24 [There's a lot more worth considering and contemplating in the bits I elided here, so do click through and read the whole thread, about a dozen tweets. Though I'm not Jewish so it's not my calendar, it made me think about how we think about what we're currently experiencing. And to all my friends who are celebrating Lag B'Omer today, chag sameach!]