FOR JEWS, THE “ORIGINAL” Omer is far superior to the ‘new” Omar.
Observant Jews will be counting the days of the original omer from the second night of Pesach, at the second seder for traditional Jew outside of Israel.
Observant Jews also may be counting the days until the new Omar, the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel bigot is turned out of office.
Of course we need to remember that for the first 33 days of the “good” omer things were not so good for 24,000 yeshiva boys studying with R. Akiva.
These religious youth died, allegedly for their behavior toward one another; not acting the way an observant Jew is expected to act (but certainly in line with the “new” Omar).
Torah.org (http://tinyurl.com/y4rvx2yg) comments that The Gemora in the tractate of Yevamos 62b, tells us that “Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of students…and all of them died in one period of time because they did not conduct themselves with respect towards one another…they all died between Pesach and Shavuot…and they all died a terrible death.
Rabbi Dani Schreiber, who teaches at Midreshet Torat Chesed in Netanya, Israel (http://tinyurl.com/y4n6yutk) notes that At first, this seems quite shocking. These were 24,000 Torah scholars who were the students of Rabbi Akiva , the teacher who taught that “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” ואהבת לרעך כמוך is the most important principle in Torah in his opinion! How could it be that his own students failed so gravely when it came to the interpersonal realm?
Looking closely at the Talmud we see that it says that they lacked kavod (respect), and we then need to understand how kavod differs from ahava (love). Maimonides (Hilchot Ishut [15:19]) says that a man has an obligation to love his wife as much as himself, but to respect her more than himself. Those sound like two different measuring sticks. What, then, is the difference?
R. Schreiber then answers his own question:
* Love is the bond that is created between people based on what they have in common – we enjoy those aspects of someone else which we connect with and can relate to.
* Respect is the bond created between two people when they tolerate and celebrate the differences between them. And it is respect that is often more important in relationships because it is those very differences which have the potential to pull us apart.
The Omar spouting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rants from Washington certainly has no respect for anyone other than, maybe, Muslim females; at least that’s how her bigotry identifies her.
Of course, Ms. Omar offends people in one breath and apologies in the next. Her Democrat colleagues apparently cannot identify recidivism of the tongue; they search for excuses for her behavior. That she is not chastised by the party in power shouts that her colleagues in the House concur with her bigotry.
An interesting question: What do her constituents back home think of their representative now that they have seen the “real” Ilhan Omar.
The original omer is, for the first 33 days, a semi-mourning period in which many observant Jews forgo haircuts and the men allow their beards to sprout.
I think that behavior is appropriate when thinking about the “new” Omar; she is a disgrace to thinking people, both left and right.
We should mourn the lack of civility, of respect; we also should mourn the inability of some people to actually THINK, to LISTEN to opposing views.
What is amazing is the number of non-observant Jews who rally to her cause even as she denigrates them. Once and forever presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is in her camp even though to Rep. Omar, all Jews are reprehensible, regardless if they are “accident of birth Jews” and totally self-hating, Reform, or Conservative. (What she must think of the black hat Jews in Deal is beyond my ken. I suppose her attitude that “a Jew is a Jew is a Jew” is something with which I can agree; our reasoning for this is at opposite ends of the spectrum.)
One thing the original brings observant Jews is a revisiting of Perki Avot, a/k/a “Ethics of the Fathers” (no matter how it is transliterated from Hebrew).
Avot is something Rep. Omar should study and practice. I don’t expect that will happen; after all, the avot all are Jews of the worst sort: ethical.
I’m relatively certain she would like at least one of Hillel the Elder’s remarks: If I am not for me, who will be for me. It’s a “me-me” world in which the politician lives with many of her fellow Democrats . . , and perhaps a few left wing, “progressive” Republicans as well.
The original omer ends with a celebration — Shavuot — I am certain when her term in the House ends, assuming she’s not re-elected by her fellow bigots, will be noted with a celebration among people who think; who want to bring the country together rather than to expand the chasm that daily increases thanks to the new Omar and her ilk.
In my seven decades I have never seen such a division between parties and such animosity among people who once were civil and respectful to one another.
We have become like Akiva’s students — showing disrespect to one another, never LISTENING to one another — indeed, not waiting for another to finish a thought unless it agrees with the our opinion.
If two children squabble over a toy, an adult steps in to settle the dispute and bring harmony back to the tiny combatants.
Unfortunately, the two children are the political parties; the really sad thing is there are no adults — political leaders — to end the tantrums and bring us to a peaceful arrangement.
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