Today is the 33rd day of the Omer.  A marking of time between the holidays of Pesach (Passover) and Sh’vuot

 

 

Why do we count the Omer? Oh, sure, it’s a way of anticipating the holiday of Sh’vuot, the 50th day after the end of the first day of Pesach. But, we no longer bring wheat to the Temple, we don’t make our own bread… so why?

Why can’t we get married from the holiday of Pesach until the 33rd day of the Omer? Why do so many men grow their beards during this counting. (Yes, it is considered improper to cut one’s hair over the first 33 days- a sign of the mourning that we manifest during this period. And, yes, it was during this period that auburn hair [now silver-gray] began adorning my face.)

Why mourning? Because some 24,000 disciples of the beloved Rav Akiva perished during the Omer. On the 33rd day, the deaths stopped. Not quite all the deaths- on that particular day, Rav Shimon bar Yochai (the beloved RaShBi) perished on this day. And, RaShBi demanded that we celebrate the day of this death as “the day of my joy”; he knew that he had fulfilled his Hashem-inspired mission. He viewed the day of his death as Hashem stating “Amen”, that his bracha (blessing) to the world has been satisfied. (This is why there are great celebrations in the city of Meron, in Northern Israel- his city- on L’ag B’Omer.)

Most of us (OK- read that as all of us moderns) will never know that apex, that day we’ve accomplished what we planned. Sure, we will have moments when we recognize that this goal, this thing we planned to make the world a better place, has been achieved. But, we immediately recognize that wasn’t the end all and be all, instead it was at best the penultimate. (The trick is to keep going, making new goals- or we spend the rest of our lives as lost souls. Or, at least a long period before we finally come to grips with what we’ve done and what we’ve yet to do.)

Decades ago, when I added a most frivolous (and dangerous) activity to my life’s routine, I almost fell prey to a saying that has been attributed to both Malcolm Forbes and Bill Elliot (I was fortunate to be among the circles of them both back then). “He who dies with the most toys wins“. It’s glib, and it is a means of measure of what we accomplish- but not the right one.

That period of my life is long gone. It was heady, it was exciting, it was dangerous. But, there are more important things. It’s when I adopted a different motto: To the world, you are one person. To one person, you are the world.

I’m suggesting that we take L’ag B’Omer as the moment to assess and reassess our missions. To codify what else we need to do to effect Tikun Olam (making the world a better place, each and every day). (If you think about it, it’s roughly the half-year assessment period after our last evaluation, when we were preparing for Yamim Nora’im, the High Holidays.)

I have always had a personal mission statement. (Come on, having one at 8 years old lets me extend that statement to my whole life!) When I headed divisions for large firms, I created mission statements for them, too. And, my own firms broadcast their mission statements to employees, customers/clients, and the public.

Too many of us don’t take that time to codify what it we plan to achieve. (Of course, if you are my business client, you lack that luxury. Because we are unable to help you achieve your goals unless we clearly understand your mission. So, we demand you explain it to us- whether in writing or orally. [Yes, we keep those statements, so that we can continually evaluate what we do in light of the ultimate goals.])

So, today, while we celebrate, while we have our picnics, while we anticipate the granting of the Tora to us in slightly more than a fortnight- we need to refine (or, for some, to codify) our mission. Now.

It would be wise, as we do so, to incorporate the thoughts of Albert Einstein- that we don’t try to become a person of success, but a person of value.

To help us focus our efforts for the rest of our lives. After all, we can’t take those toys with us- but we can have our memories bring smiles to those who outlast us forever.

Hope your picnics will be replete with good food- and great thoughts!