34 Bamidbar: Day 1 (Sunday) | Census of the Twelve Tribes

23 Iyar 5786 AM | 1 AVE.

Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your Spirit and invited the nations to share in the richness of Your Word. We thank You for the people and state of Israel, including the Messiah, our First Fruits, through whom the harvest of life has begun.

Today is the thirty-sixth day of the Omer according to the minority Sadducean and Essene counts, which is 5 weeks and 1 day.

May the Spirit of Truth prepare my heart for the revelation of the 50th day.

Jonathan Writes:

I am quite late getting to the Omer Count and Torah reading. During my afternoon walk, I had an extraordinary Mother's Day moment while passing the Saint Peter's Hospital and Temple Israel complexes. I was listening to Reggae Roots & Culture Mix on my earbuds - specifically "Alpha & Omega (Rise Afrika)" by Roots Revival Band, "Jah Is My Guide" by Zion Path Collective, "Mama Afrika Calling" by Nyabinghi Voices, and "Freedom Chant (No Chains Again)" by The Liberation Crew. On one hand, this kind of listening seems to run contrary to a degree program in Monastic Studies and Ascetical Theology! On the other hand, this kind of listening is entirely pertinent to a university "Watch of the Yeshiva" that applies modern Essene peacemaking principles (of the kind taught by Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, MD) to the New York healthcare and political systems. Did the Enochian and Essene Jews use psychoactive plants, similar to the Rastafarians? Professor Kenneth Hanson finds the hypothesis worth entertaining. What other connections are worth exploring between Rasta and Essene theologies - perhaps Livity, Liberation, Zion, Israelite, Word-Sound-Power and Good Vibration?

Today's reading is Numbers 1:1-1:19.

This is the link to the Daily Chumash with Rashi at Chabad.

The Daily Wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe is titled "Love and Family."

Shalom.