In a few more days, on Shavuot, we will have an encounter with the One Above, the King of Kings. And on this last week of our counting of the Omer, of working on ourselves to become better people, we are focusing on malchut: Kingship, Royalty, Sovereignty – it is all about rulership and power.
G-d, our Father, is King, but we too are royalty, as we were all created in His image. And being a member of this Royal Family called humanity, comes with both privileges and responsibilities. Being a member of the Jewish part of the human family has its own set of responsibilities, one of them being to be a light unto the nations. To lead by example.
Tiferet, the focus of today, usually translated as glory, is the balance of chesed (lovingkindness) and gevurah (discipline) or, in other words, harmony. On this 45th day of the Omer, we look deep inside ourselves and ask: do we see harmony in how we lead? Are we compassionate as leaders? Are we organized and clear? Do we lead our organizations, employees, committees, family by example and with compassion?
This is not only important when we lead others but might be especially relevant when we think about how we lead our own lives! After all, we are the rulers of our own thoughts and actions. Torah in particular, and Judaism in general, speaks about both our physical and our spiritual needs. As we lead our lives, do we balance, do we harmonize, these two important aspects of ourselves? Are we compassionate towards ourselves? Do we hold ourselves to the same standards and with the same understanding as we do others? Ask yourself these questions and make whatever changes are needed in order to add harmony to your leadership.
