Day 36: Chesed in Yesod, Lovingkindness in Foundation
It seems a little odd to put the week of foundation/connection near the end of the omer. Shouldn't the foundation be first? As we discussed yesterday, recalling how far we've come is an important part of this journey (of any journey, really). It is easy to recall our foundation and our connections to the past when we are close to it. It's much harder to maintain our hold on our foundational stories and our connections to our ancestors as they recede further into the past. Having the week of yesod here, toward the end, prompts us to look back, even as we continue forward.
Jewish tradition teaches us that, just as each of us must see ourselves as personally having come out of Egypt, each of us personally stood at Sinai. Time collapses in on itself and every Jew throughout time (past, present, and future; Jewish from birth or by conversion; everyone who ever was or will be Jewish) was there at Sinai to receive the Torah from God. In that sense, it makes sense that the week of yesod is placed where it is, close to the end, close to Shavuot, where time bends to bring us all together.
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