Omer 2019 Day 11: Elephants

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Omer 2019 Day 11: Netzach in Gevurah, Endurance in Strength

Elephants

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

An elephant is pregnant for 22 months, the longest gestational period of any mammal. If that isn't a case for "endurance" and "strength," then we don't know what is!

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 10: Social Animals

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Omer 2019 Day 10: Tiferet in Gevurah, Compassion in Strength
Social Animals (Lions, Gorillas, etc)
Alpha males in social animals will often set aside their strength when they interact with cubs (i.e. lions) or infants (i.e. gorillas).

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 9: Pack Animals

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Omer 2019 Day 9: Gevurah in Gevurah, Strength in Strength

Pack Animals (donkeys, oxen, horses, camels, etc)

Photo by Donald Tong from Pexels

Human society was built on the backs of animals that can carry and pull heavy loads. These pack animals have incredible strength and helped us move people, building materials, and trade goods across long, sometimes treacherous distances. The camel, for instance, can carry over 600 pounds on its back. Through the strength of these animals, we are able to strengthen ourselves.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 8: Meerkats

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Omer 2019 Day 8: Chesed in Gevurah: Loving-Kindness in Bravery
Meerkats

Photo by Mike Bird from Pexels

Meerkats are usually cited as a classic example of "altruism" because they take turns standing guard for the colony and alert others of predators and dangers. So those that participate in the group and stand guard also benefit because there are others who stand guard for it when it's time for that individual to forage for food. Plus, by safe-guarding their own family, their genes get passed along and are more likely to be biologically "successful" through the production of offspring.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 7: Gorillas

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Omer 2019 Day 7: Malchut in Chesed, Leadership in Loving-Kindness
Gorillas

Photo by Chris Carter from Pexels

Silverback gorillas (the dominant male in the group) are responsible for making decisions that regard the well-being of the entire troop. While they are best known for being fierce competitors for mating rights and territory, they also must take into account the needs of females to have a safe place to give birth and raise their young, as well as a safe place for juveniles to play and explore their surroundings. A strong sense of leadership is required to be able to make these decisions, as well as others like when to move, when to stay, where and when to find other sources of food and water, where to rest for the night, and when to allow others to join or depart the group.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 6: Emperor Penguins

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Omer 2019 Day 6: Yesod in Chesed, Connection in Loving-Kindness
Emperor Penguins

Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay

It's World Penguin Day! And since penguins happen to be a great example of connection in loving-kindness, we're highlighting birds again in our Omer count.

Male emperor penguins guard their eggs and chicks all through the antarctic winter while also helping each other out by forming a massive huddle and alternating who is on the inside and outside.

In sad penguin news, the world's second largest emperor penguin colony has been wiped out after an ice shelf collapsed in Antarctica. The ice shelf collapsed in 2016 due to climate change and there has not been any breeding activity there since. The ice sheet collapse is another reminder of the interconnectedness of our planet and the impact of climate change around the world.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 5: Guide Dogs

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Omer 2019 Day 5: Hod in Chesed, Glory/Humility in Loving-Kindness
Guide Dogs

Photo by Svetozar Milashevich from Pexels

We're breaking the bird streak today for International Guide Dogs Day! Dogs are man's best friend and none more so than guide dogs. These highly trained dogs provide direction, so that people who are blind can be independent in the world. The key to this relationship is trust and loving-kindness. Guide dogs show us that no matter our circumstances, we can achieve great things through kindness.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 4: Albatross

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Omer 2019 Day 4: Netzach in Chesed, Endurance in Love
Albatross

Image by GoodGallagher from Pixabay

Albatross have the longest wingspan of any bird - up to 11 feet long! These long wings help them glide in the air without using much energy flapping their wings to stay aloft and they can fly for years without returning to dry land.

Albatross only find land again to meet up with their mates once a year. Like cranes (see day 1), albatross mate for life, and both parents stay to care for their chick when it is born.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 3: Swans

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Omer 2019 Day 3: Tiferet in Chesed, Beauty in Love
Swans

Photo by Chris Child on Unsplash

Though swans aren't born beautiful (as we all know from The Ugly Duckling), they grow into beautiful, graceful birds.

Swans are a classic image of beauty and love. Males stick around to help raise the chicks, and they mate for life.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 2: Ducklings

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Omer 2019 Day 2: Gevurah in Chesed, Bravery in Loving-Kindness

Merganser Ducklings

There are several species of ducks, including merganser ducks, that lay their eggs high in trees. When the ducklings hatch, they spend a few hours bonding with each other, and then the mother leaves and calls them to follow her. Obviously she can fly out of the tree, but the ducklings essentially have to trust that their mother is giving them good advice, so they have to muster up the courage to jump out of their nest that can be 50+ feet above the ground! It's pretty amazing what these babies will do for the love of their mother.

This year's animal Omer is a collaboration between myself and my friend Halli, a PhD in animal science. Thank you for counting the Omer with us!

Omer 2019 Day 1: Cranes

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It's time, once again, to count the Omer! Beginning on the second night of Passover, we count 49 days, ending on the 50th day with the celebration of Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates our receiving the Torah at Sinai. The mitzvah of counting the Omer connects the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Just as the Israelites moved in seven weeks from slavery in Egypt to freedom at Sinai, we count the Omer to reflect on our own personal growth.

According to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), we don't just count the days. Each week and each day also have a corresponding sephira - an emotion or aspect of God - so that as we count, we also reflect on the intersection of the day's sephira with the sephira of the week. The seven sephirot are:

1. Chesed (חסד): love, kindness

2. Gevurah (גבורה): strength, power, justice, bravery

3. Tiferet (תפארת): beauty, balance, compassion

4. Netzach (נצח‎): eternity, endurance, victory

5. Hod (הוד): splendor, majesty, glory, humility

6. Yesod (יסוד): foundation, connection

7. Malchut (מלכות): leadership

You can read past years of blogs here. I am particularly excited this year to be collaborating with my friend, Halli. Not only is she incredibly Jewishly knowledgeable, but she also has a PhD in animal science, so it was a natural fit for this year's blog theme to be animals (something she suggested two years ago, but we finally got around to putting together this year). Without further ado, let's get counting!

Day 1: Chesed in Chesed, Love in Love
Cranes

Image by Linda29 from Pixabay

Cranes are monogamous and mate for life. They bond with each other using elaborate dances and songs that only the two of them can match.

Their beautiful movements and calls to each other have made them symbols of love and endurance in many societies, and that commitment to each other is something we should all strive for on this first day of the Omer. What bonds can we strengthen with our partners? How can we show them love? Whether through elaborate song and dance, or through little moments of quiet understanding, the bonds we have with our partners make up the building blocks of a loving relationship to last a lifetime.