Blessing
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Barukh atah, A-donai E-loheinu, Melekh Ha-ʿolam, asher qid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu ʿal S’firat Ha-ʿomer.
Count
Today is day three of the Omer.
Meditation
Exodus 1:13-14
13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
Devotional
We need to be saved from the terrible things we do to each other. Fear, envy, jealous, stereotyping, propagandizing and demonizing others often leads to terrible evils against people. We must always question and challenge when those in power and leadership demonize others and call for their group to mistreat them. If someone calls for the harm of others, refuse. Don’t participate. Scapegoating is the evil we often do and don’t realize it. We must learn to challenge the negative thoughts and ideas we have about people who don’t look like us, love like us, worship like us and live like us. Systems of oppression rely upon groups of people who go along with marginalizing others who innocent women, children and minority groups. Don’t be fooled and manipulated by fear and those who need you to do evil on their behalf against a made-up enemy.