READINGS FOR OMER COUNT – DAY 46

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 forty-sixth day, making six weeks and four 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 135

Praise Yah! Praise the Name of YHWH; Praise, you servants of YHWH, Who are standing in the House of YHWH, In the courts of the House of our Elohim, Praise Yah, for YHWH is excellent; Sing praises to His Name, for it is pleasant.

For Yah has chosen Ya‛aqoḇ for Himself, Yisra’ěl for His treasured possession.

For I know that YHWH is great, And our Master is above all mighty ones.

YHWH has done whatever pleased Him, In the heavens and in earth, In the seas and in all the depths, Causing vapours to go up From the ends of the earth; He made lightning for the rain, Bringing forth wind from His treasuries; Who struck the first-born of Mitsrayim, From man to beast.

He sent signs and wonders Into your midst, O Mitsrayim, On Pharaoh and on all his servants; Who struck many nations, And killed mighty kings, Even Siḥon king of the Amorites, And Oḡ king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Kena‛an.

And He gave their land as an inheritance, An inheritance to Yisra’ěl His people.

O YHWH, Your Name is forever, O YHWH, Your remembrance to all generations, For YHWH rightly rules His people, And has compassion on His servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Also there is no breath in their mouth.

Those making them become like them, Everyone who is trusting in them.

Bless YHWH, O house of Yisra’ěl! Bless YHWH, O house of Aharon!

Bless YHWH, O house of Lěwi! You who fear YHWH, bless YHWH!

Blessed from Tsiyon, YHWH be, Who dwells in Yerushalayim! Praise Yah.

READINGS: TEHILLAH 136

Give thanks to YHWH, for He is excellent! For His mercy is everlasting.

Give thanks to the Elohim of mighty ones! For His mercy is everlasting.

Give thanks to the Master of masters! For His mercy is everlasting:

To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy is everlasting; To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy is everlasting; To Him who spread the earth on the waters, For His mercy is everlasting; To Him who made great lights, For His mercy is everlasting; The sun to rule by day, For His mercy is everlasting; The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy is everlasting.

To Him who struck Mitsrayim in their first-born, For His mercy is everlasting; And brought out Yisra’ěl from their midst, For His mercy is everlasting; With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy is everlasting; To Him who split apart the Sea of Reeds, For His mercy is everlasting; And made Yisra’ěl pass through the midst of it, For His mercy is everlasting; But shook off Pharaoh and his army in the Sea of Reeds, For His mercy is everlasting; To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy is everlasting; To Him who struck great kings, For His mercy is everlasting; And killed mighty kings, For His mercy is everlasting; Even Siḥon king of the Amorites, For His mercy is everlasting; And Oḡ king of Bashan, For His mercy is everlasting; And gave their land as an inheritance, For His mercy is everlasting; An inheritance to Yisra’ěl His servant, For His mercy is everlasting.

Who remembered us in our humiliation, For His mercy is everlasting; And rescued us from our adversaries, For His mercy is everlasting; Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy is everlasting.

Give thanks to the Ěl of the heavens! For His mercy is everlasting.

READINGS: TEHILLAH 137

By the rivers of Baḇel, There we sat down and we wept As we remembered Tsiyon.

We hung our lyres Upon the willows in the midst of it.

For there our captors Asked us for the words of a song, And our plunderers for rejoicing, saying, “Sing to us a song of Tsiyon!”

How could we sing the song of YHWH On foreign soil?

If I forget you, O Yerushalayim, Let my right hand forget.

Let my tongue cleave to my palate, If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Yerushalayim Above my chief joy.

Remember, O YHWH, against the sons of Eḏom The day of Yerushalayim, Who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, To its foundation!”

O daughter of Baḇel, who are to be destroyed, Blessed is he who repays you your deed, What you did to us!

Blessed is he who shall take And dash your little ones against the rock.

READINGS: MISHLE 28:1-28

The wrong shall flee though no one pursues, But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Because of transgression of a land, Many are its rulers; But by a man of understanding and knowledge, Right is maintained.

A poor man who oppresses the poor Is like a sweeping rain that leaves no food.

Those who forsake the Torah praise the wrong, Those who guard the Torah strive with them.

Evil men do not understand judgment, But those who seek YHWH understand all.

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, who is rich.

He who watches over the Torah is a discerning son, But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

He who increases his possessions by interest and profit Gathers it for him who shows favor to the poor.

He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, Even his prayer is an abomination.

He who causes the straight to go astray in an evil way, Falls into his own pit; But the perfect inherit excellence.

A rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

When the righteous exult, there is great comeliness; But when the wrong arise, a man is searched for.

He who hides his transgressions does not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them finds compassion.

Blessed is the man who always fears Elohim, But he who hardens his heart falls into evil.

A roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wrongdoing ruler over poor people.

A leader who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But the hater of greed prolongs his days.

A man oppressed by blood-guilt flees into a pit; Let no one help him.

He who walks blamelessly is saved, But the perverted of ways falls at once.

He who tills his land is satisfied with bread, But he who pursues vanities is filled with poverty.

A man of truth has many blessings, But one in a hurry to be rich does not go unpunished.

To show partiality is not excellent, Because for a piece of bread a man would transgress.

A man with an evil eye runs after wealth, And does not know that poverty awaits him.

He who reproves a man finds more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue.

He who robs his father or his mother, And says, “It is no transgression,” He is a companion to a destroyer.

He who is greedy stirs up strife, But he who trusts in YHWH prospers.

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely is delivered.

He who gives to the poor does not lack, But he who hides his eyes does have many curses.

When the wrong rise up, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

READINGS: AVOTH 6:4-6

This is the way that is becoming for the study of the Torah: a morsel of bread with salt thou must eat, and water by measure thou must drink; thou must sleep upon the ground, and live a life of trouble while thou toilest in the Torah. If thou doest thus, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee; happy shalt thou be in this world, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come.

Seek not greatness for thyself, and court not honor; let thy deeds exceed thy learning, and crave not after the table of kings; for thy table is greater than theirs, and thy crown is greater than theirs, and thy employer is faithful to pay thee the reward of thy work.

The Torah is greater than the Kehunnah and the Kingdom, seeing that the Kingdom demands thirty qualifications, the Kehunnah twenty-four, while the Torah is acquired by forty-eight. And these are they: by audible study; by distinct pronunciation; by understanding and discernment of the heart; by awe, reverence, meekness, cheerfulness; by ministering to the sages; by attaching oneself to colleagues; by discussion with pupils; by sedateness; by knowledge of the Scripture and of the Mishna; by moderation in business; in intercourse with the world; in pleasure; in sleep; in conversation; in laughter; by patience; by an excellent heart; by faith in the wise; by resignation under affliction; by recognizing one’s place; rejoicing in one’s portion; putting a fence to one’s words; claiming no merit for oneself; by being beloved; loving the Temple; loving mankind; loving just courses; rectitude and reproof; by keeping oneself far from honor; not boasting of one’s learning; nor delighting in giving decisions; by bearing the yoke with one’s fellow; judging him favorably and leading him to truth and peace; by being composed in one’s study; by asking and answering; hearing and adding thereto; by learning with the object of teaching; by learning with the object of practicing; by making one’s master wiser; fixing attention upon his discourse, and reporting a thing in the name of him who said it. So thou hast learnt, whosoever reports a thing in the name of him that said it brings deliverance into the world; as it is said, and Esther told the king in the name of Mardak.