Tuesday Sivan 5, Erev Shavuot 5703, 49th day of the Omer **
Torah Lessons (5703)	Chumash: Nasso, Shlishi with Rashi. Tehillim: 29-34. Tanya: And this is (p. 279)...BLESSED AND EXALTED. (p. 281).

On the eve of Shavuot 5557 (1797) the Alter Rebbe taught:

"Sanctify them today and tomorrow and they shall cleanse their garments. [1]

"Sanctify them today and tomorrow," is done from Above, but "they shall cleanse their garments" - one must do himself."

This was the entire teaching.

The Tzemach Tzedek elaborated:

"Sanctify them" was said by G-d to Moshe. The extension of Moshe is in every generation [2] and they [3] are able to sanctify the "today" and the "tomorrow"; but for this is needed "..and they shall cleanse their garments" - the garments of thought, speech and deed. This must be done by each person on his own.

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Sh'mot 19:10.

2. (Back to text) Tikunei Zohar, Tikun 69.

3. (Back to text) I.e. the Moshe in each generation.

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Day seven of week 7

Malchut of malchut

Examine the sovereignty of your sovereignty. Does it come from deep- rooted inner confidence in myself? Or is it just a put-on to mask my insecurities? Does that cause my sovereignty to be excessive? Am I aware of my uniqueness as a person? Of my personal contribution?

Exercise for the day: Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self, not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with yourself knowing that G-d created a very special person which is you.

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Conclusion

Upon concluding these forty nine days we come to the fiftieth day - Mattan Torah, when we have fully achieved inner renewal by merit of having assessed and developed each of our forty nine attributes.

What is the significance of the fiftieth day Mattan Torah? After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, then we receive a gift (mattana in Hebrew) from above that which could not achieve with our limited faculties. We receive the ability to actually reach and touch the divine; not only to be cultivated human beings who have refined each of their personal characteristics, but divine human beings, who are capable of expressing above and beyond their defined hum an emotions, but actually express that which is unexpressable and undefinable in human terms; the most intimate emotions that transcend the forty nine defined attributes.

From:

A Spiritual Guide to the counting of the Omer

Forty-Nine Steps to Personal Refinement

The Forty-Nine Days of Sefirah

by Simon Jacobson

$7.95 Soft Cover

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