READINGS FOR OMER COUNT – DAY 24

Behold, I am about to fulfill the affirmative precept of the counting of the Omer, as it is written in the Torah:

“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Shabbath, from the day that ye brought the Omer of the wave-offering, seven complete weeks they shall be; until the morrow of the seventh Shabbath shall ye number fifty days.”

Blessed art Thou YHWH, our Elohym, King of the universe, who hast set us apart by Thy commandments and hast given us command concerning the counting of the Omer.

This is the twenty-fourth day, making three weeks and three days of the Omer.

May the All Merciful restore the service of the Temple to its place. May it be Thy will, YHWH our Elohym and Elohym of our fathers, that the Temple be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant our portion in Thy Torah. And there we will serve Thee with awe, as in the days of old and as in ancient years.

May Elohym be favorable unto us and bless us. That Thy way may be known upon the earth, Thy salvation among all nations. Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, Elohym; let all the peoples give thanks unto Thee. Let the nations rejoice and exult: for Thou wilt judge the peoples with equity and lead the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, Elohym; let all the peoples give thanks unto Thee. The earth hath yielded her increase: Elohym, even our Elohym, shall bless us. Elohym shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

READINGS: TEHILLAH 67

Elohim does favor us and bless us, Cause His face to shine upon us. Selah.

For Your way to be known on earth, Your deliverance among all nations.

Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim, Let all the peoples praise You.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You judge the peoples uprightly, And lead the nations on earth. Selah.

Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim; Let all the peoples praise You.

The earth shall give her increase; Elohim, our own Elohim, blesses us!

Elohim blesses us! And all the ends of the earth fear Him!

READINGS: TEHILLAH 68

Elohim arises, His enemies are scattered. And those who hate Him flee before Him!

As smoke is driven away, You drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, The wrong perish before Elohim.

But the righteous are glad, They exult before Elohim. And they rejoice with gladness.

Sing to Elohim, sing praises to His Name. Raise up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts, By His Name Yah, And exult before Him.

Father of the fatherless, And Right-ruler of widows, Is Elohim in His set-apart dwelling.

Elohim makes a home for the lonely; He brings out into prosperity Those who are bound with chains; Only the rebellious shall dwell in a dry land.

O Elohim, when You went out before Your people, When You stepped through the wilderness, Selah.

The earth shook and the heavens dropped before Elohim, This Sinai, shook before Elohim, the Elohim of Yisra’ěl.

You, O Elohim, sent a shower of plenty, You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary.

Your flock dwelt in it; You provided from Your excellence for the poor, O Elohim.

YHWH gave the word; The women who proclaimed it was a great company: “Kings of armies flee in haste! And she who remains at home divides the spoil.”

If you lie down among the sheepfolds, The wings of a dove are covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, It did snow in Tsalmon.

A mountain of Elohim is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of peaks is the mountain of Bashan.

O mountain of peaks, why do you gaze in envy At the mountain which Elohim desired to dwell in; YHWH even dwells there forever.

The chariots of Elohim are twenty thousand, Thousands of thousands; YHWH came from Sinai Into the Set-apart Place.

You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive, You have received gifts among men, And even the rebellious, That Yah Elohim might dwell there.

Blessed be YHWH, Day by day He bears our burden, The Ěl of our deliverance! Selah.

Our Ěl is the Ěl of deliverance; And to YHWH, the Master, belong escapes from death.

Indeed, Elohim smites the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of him who walks about in His guilt.

YHWH said, “I bring back from Bashan, I bring back from the depths of the sea, “So that you plunge your foot in blood; That the tongues of your dogs Have their portion from the enemies.”

They have seen Your goings, O Elohim, The goings of my Ěl, my King, Into the set-apart place.

The singers went in front, The players on instruments after them; Among them were the young women playing tambourines.

Bless Elohim in the assemblies, YHWH, from the fountain of Yisra’ěl.

There is Binyamin, the smallest, their ruler, The leaders of Yehuḏah, their company, The leader of Zeḇulun, the leader of Naphtali.

Your Elohim has commanded your strength, be strong! O Elohim, this You have worked out for us!

Because of Your Hěḵal at Yerushalayim, Kings bring presents to You.

Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, The herd of bulls, with the calves of the peoples, Each one humbling himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in conflicts!

Ambassadors come out of Mitsrayim; Kush stretches out her hands to Elohim.

Sing to Elohim, you kingdoms of the earth, Praises to YHWH, Selah.

To Him who rides on the ancient highest heavens! See, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.

Ascribe strength to Elohim; His excellence is over Yisra’ěl, And His strength is in the clouds.

O Elohim, awesome from Your set-apart places, The Ěl of Yisra’ěl is He Who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be Elohim!

READINGS: MISHLE 16:17-33

The highway of the straight Is to turn away from evil; He who guards his life watches over His way.

Before destruction comes pride, And before a fall a haughty spirit!

Better to be lowly in spirit with the poor, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

He who acts wisely concerning the Word finds excellence, And blessed is he who trusts in YHWH.

The wise-hearted is called discerning, And sweetness of lips increases learning.

Understanding is a fountain of life to him who has it, But the disciplining of fools is folly.

The heart of the wise gives discretion to his mouth, And he increases learning to his lips.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweet to the being, and healing to the bones.

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

He who labors, labors for himself, For his mouth drives him on.

A man of Beliya‛al plots evil, And on his lips it is like a burning fire.

A perverse man sends forth strife, And a whisperer separates intimate friends.

A ruthless man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not excellent, Winking with his eye to plot perversity, Moving his lips he shall bring about evil.

Grey hair is a crown of adorning, It is found in the way of righteousness.

He who is patient is better than the mighty, And he who rules over his spirit than he who takes a city.

The lot is cast into the lap, But every decision by it is from YHWH.

READINGS: AVOTH 3:17-20

Rabbi Aqiva said, jesting and levity lead a man on to lewdness; the Massorah is a fence to the Torah; tithes are a fence to riches; vows are a fence to abstinence; a fence to wisdom is silence.

He used to say, beloved is man, for he was created in the image of Adam; but it was by a special love that it was made known to him that he was created in the image of Elohym; as it is said, for in the image of Elohym made He man. Beloved are Yisrael, for they were called children of the Temple; but it was by a special love that it was made known to them that they were called children of The Temple; as it is said, ye are children unto YHWH your Elohym. Beloved are Yisrael, for unto them was given the desirable instrument; but it was by a special love that it was made known to them that the desirable instrument was theirs, through which the world was created; as it is said, for I give you excellent doctrine; forsake ye not My Torah.

Everything is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is given; and the world is judged by grace, yet all is according to the amount of work.

He used to say, everything is given on pledge, and a net is spread for all living; the shop is open, and the dealer gives credit, and the ledger lies open, and the hand writes, and whosoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors regularly make their daily round and exact payment from man, whether he be content or not, and they have that whereon they can rely in their demand; and the judgment is a judgment of truth; and everything is prepared for the feast.