One at a Time

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Looking back on the journey
that we carry in our hearts.
From the shadow of the Mountain,
to the waters that would part.

On this first day of the Omer, we are at the very beginning of that journey. The one that will take us from enslavement to liberation.

When we started that original trek, we had no true idea of what awaited us. While freedom was something for which we yearned, it was not until we had left behind the shackles of Mitzrayim that we learned what it means to be free. And it is only from our vantage point that we can now truly understand the complete ramifications of slavery on an entire people.

In L’dor VaDor, composer Josh Nelson looks backwards. Viewing the journey from destination to threshold emphasizes the permanent impression the journey continues to have on us. In the safety of the Mountain’s shadow, we revisit the wanderings of our people, from slavery to freedom. From darkness to Revelation. Forty days between Pesach and Shavuot. Forty days to reconnect. To recommit. To reconsecrate.

Today, we take the first step.