The 49 Spiritual Improvements of Sephirat Haomer

[edu]

In many prayer books, it is listed that each day of the 49 days of Sephirat Haomer from the 2nd day of Pesach to the day before Shavuot is dedicated in particular, to one of 49 Spiritual Improvements, which to some degree mimics the spiritual rise that the nation of Israel went through from the Exodus up to the Sinai revelation.
The 49 spiritual improvements can be broken further down to 7 categories
Chesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchut.
Days 1-7 being devoted to Chesed Improvements.
Days 8-14 Gevura, Days 15-21 Tifferet, Days 22-28, Netzach, Days 29-35, Hod
Days 36-42, Yesod, and Days 43-49, Malchut.
Would any like to offer their definitions of Chesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut in this context?
I have also heard there are some rabbis who offered a non-kabbalistic alternative to the 49 Spiritual improvements in the Sephirat Haomer period. 48 out of the 49 connected to the 48 ways that Torah is acquired mentioned in Pirkei Avot. If any one also has more information about this 2nd viewpoint also please add your thoughts.

[muman613]

Shalom Edu,

Good to see you... I was wondering where you have been lately...

Indeed you ask a very interesting question. I have heard both ways of counting, the Sefirah (7 attributes of Hashem) and the 49 ways of acquiring Torah.

For each week, 7 days of 7 weeks = 49 days of Sefirat HaOmer..

So the 1st week is Chesed, first day of first week is Chesed of Chesed, second is Chesed of Gevurah, third Chesed of Tiferet, etc.

Aish.com has a great look at the 48 ways of Middot improvement...

Here is a portion of Aish.coms discussion of the 48 ways...


Starting with the second day of Passover, we "count the Omer" each day, leading up toward Shavuot and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

Rabbi Aaron Kotler said that the method of preparing to receive the Torah is to study the "48 Ways to Wisdom." This comes from the Talmud (Avot 6:6) which states that "the crown of Torah is acquired by 48 Ways." Each of these 48 Ways is a special tool to help sharpen our personal skills and get the most out of life.

In order to attain pleasure, in order to accomplish goals, you have to master and apply the tools that the Almighty gave you. You want to be successful in business? Use the 48 Ways. You want to be a good student? Use the 48 Ways. You want to win gold in the Olympics? The 48 Ways will get you there.

Use it for whatever you want out of life. Focus on your goal. Know what pleasure you're living for. Otherwise you're going to be a multi-millionaire -- and miserable. Keep your eye on the ball -- and the 48 Ways will get you there.

Repairing Character

The Sages say that our souls have been sent into this world for no other reason than to repair character flaws. This repair is therefore our primary purpose in life.

The Sefer HaChinuch (14th century Spain) says that we were freed from Egypt only in order to receive the Torah and to fulfill it. Though the Exodus made us physically free, it is through receiving the Torah that we attain authentic freedom of discipline.

Each of these 48 Ways is a step along the process -- addressing a different aspect of our spiritual and moral character: speech, patience, concentration, laughter, leadership, sensitivity, humility, diligence, friendship, joy, etc. Our goal is to define and balance each one of these.
Upon completing the 48 Ways, the 49th step is an overall review. A key to spiritual growth is the realization that greatness requires constant maintenance.

As could be expected, the 50th step is the most integral and profound. It is the step that unifies all the others. The 50th step is connecting with God. Nothing in life is possible without the assistance of the Creator and Sustainer of all life.

Get the Torah

Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, the famed Brisker Rav, said that just as with any legal process there is a special method of acquisition, so too, Torah understanding is only acquired through the 48 Ways.

The time to begin is today. "I don't have time" is no excuse. You can listen to Torah tapes while in the car commuting, or while exercising on the treadmill. There is an excellent "48 Ways" audio series by Rabbi Noah Weinberg, which presents these topics in a friendly and engaging style. You can also subscribe to the "48 Ways" email list and access notes online.

The days of the Omer is the perfect time to undertake study of the 48 Ways -- one way per day!

Use this handy table to keep track of the days:
16 Nisan:
Being Aware Every Moment
Today is 1 day of the Omer.
17 Nisan:
Listen Effectively
Today is 2 days of the Omer.
18 Nisan:
Arrange It On Your Lips
Today is 3 days of the Omer.
19 Nisan:
Understanding Of The Heart
Today is 4 days of the Omer.
20 Nisan:
Awe
Today is 5 days of the Omer.
21 Nisan:
Mastering Fear
Today is 6 days of the Omer.
22 Nisan:
The True Charisma
Today is 7 days of the Omer.
23 Nisan:
Joy
Today is 8 days of the Omer.
24 Nisan:
Concentration and Will Power
Today is 9 days of the Omer.
25 Nisan:
Honor the Wise Person
Today is 10 days of the Omer.
26 Nisan:
Work It Through With Friends
Today is 11 days of the Omer.
27 Nisan:
Growth Through Teaching
Today is 12 days of the Omer.
28 Nisan:
Be Deliberate
Today is 13 days of the Omer.
29 Nisan:
Something That Is Read
Today is 14 days of the Omer.
30 Nisan:
The Oral Instructions for Living
Today is 15 days of the Omer.
1 Iyar:
Apply Business Acumen to Living
Today is 16 days of the Omer.
2 Iyar:
Harnessing the Power of Sex
Today is 17 days of the Omer.
3 Iyar:
The Use of Physical Pleasure
Today is 18 days of the Omer.
4 Iyar:
Minimize Sleep
Today is 19 days of the Omer.
5 Iyar:
The Art of Conversation
Today is 20 days of the Omer.
6 Iyar:
Laugh at Your Troubles
Today is 21 days of the Omer.
7 Iyar:
Conquering Frustration
Today is 22 days of the Omer.
8 Iyar:
A Good Heart
Today is 23 days of the Omer.
9 Iyar:
Choosing the Right Advisor
Today is 24 days of the Omer.
10 Iyar:
Accepting Pain
Today is 25 days of the Omer.
11 Iyar:
When to Lead - When to Follow
Today is 26 days of the Omer.
12 Iyar:
Happiness
Today is 27 days of the Omer.
13 Iyar:
Protect What Is Precious
Today is 28 days of the Omer.
14 Iyar:
The Subtle Traps of Arrogance
Today is 29 days of the Omer.
15 Iyar:
How to be Loved
Today is 30 days of the Omer.
16 Iyar:
The Greatest Pleasure
Today is 31 days of the Omer.
17 Iyar:
The Dynamics of Loving
Today is 32 days of the Omer.
18 Iyar:
Take Pleasure In Fulfilling Your Obligations
Today is 33 days of the Omer.
19 Iyar:
Using Your Inner Guide
Today is 34 days of the Omer.
20 Iyar:
Love Criticism
Today is 35 days of the Omer.
21 Iyar:
Handling Social Pleasure
Today is 36 days of the Omer.
22 Iyar:
How Never to be Bored
Today is 37 days of the Omer.
23 Iyar:
The Art of making Decisions
Today is 38 days of the Omer.
24 Iyar:
Sensitivity to Others
Today is 39 days of the Omer.
25 Iyar:
Make Your Help Count
Today is 40 days of the Omer.
26 Iyar:
Getting Into Reality
Today is 41 days of the Omer.
27 Iyar:
Achieving Peace Of Mind
Today is 42 days of the Omer.
28 Iyar:
Being Fascinated with Living
Today is 43 days of the Omer.
29 Iyar:
How to Analyze an Issue
Today is 44 days of the Omer.
1 Sivan:
Expanding Your Ideas
Today is 45 days of the Omer.
2 Sivan:
Learn In Order To Teach
Today is 46 days of the Omer.
3 Sivan:
Learn In Order To Do
Today is 47 days of the Omer.
4 Sivan:
Educating the Educators
Today is 48 days of the Omer.
5 Sivan:
Organize Your Mind
Today is 49 days of the Omer.
6 Sivan:
The Rewards of Gratitude
Today is SHAVUOT

[muman613]

Here Aish explains the Kabbalistic meditations on the days of the Omer...


http://www.aish.com/h/o/t/48969716.html?s=g

With the mitzvah of counting the 49 days, known as Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Torah invites us on a journey into the human psyche, into the soul. There are seven basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.

The seven emotional attributes are:

Chesed ― Loving-kindness
Gevurah ― Justice and discipline
Tiferet ― Harmony, compassion
Netzach ― Endurance
Hod ― Humility
Yesod ― Bonding
Malchut ― Sovereignty, leadership

The seven weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multidimensional, it includes within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the actual counting ("Today is day one of the Omer...") would consist of the following structure with suggested meditations:

Upon conclusion of the 49 days we arrive at the 50th day ― Mattan Torah. After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, traversing and refining every emotional corner of our psyche, we then receive a gift ('mattan' in Hebrew) from above. We receive that which we could not achieve with our own limited faculties. We receive the gift of true freedom ― the ability to transcend our human limitations and touch the divine.

WEEK 1 ― CHESED: LOVING-KINDNESS

Day 1 ― Chesed of Chesed: Loving-kindness in Loving-kindness
Love is the single most powerful and necessary component in life. It is both giving and receiving. Love allows us to reach above and beyond ourselves, to experience another person and to allow that person to experience us. It is the tool by which we learn to experience the highest reality ― God. Examine the love aspect of your love.

Ask yourself: What is my capacity to love another person? Do I have problems with giving? Am I stingy or selfish? Is it difficult for me to let someone else into my life? Am I afraid of my vulnerability, of opening up and getting hurt?
Exercise for the day: Find a new way to express your love to a dear one.

Day 2 ― Gevurah of Chesed: Discipline in Loving-kindness

Healthy love must always include an element of discipline and discernment; a degree of distance and respect for another's boundaries; an assessment of another's capacity to contain your love. Love must be tempered and directed properly. Ask a parent who, in the name of love, has spoiled a child; or someone who suffocates a spouse with love and doesn't allow them any personal space.

Exercise for the day: Help someone on their terms not on yours. Apply yourself to their specific needs even if it takes effort.

Day 3 ― Tiferet of Chesed: Compassion, Harmony in Loving-kindness

Harmony in love is one that blends both the chesed and gevurah aspects of love. Harmonized love includes empathy and compassion. Love is often given with the expectation of receiving love in return. Compassionate love is given freely; expects nothing in return ― even when the other doesn't deserve love. Tiferet is giving also to those who have hurt you.

Exercise for the day: Offer a helping hand to a stranger.

Day 4 ― Netzach of Chesed: Endurance in Loving-kindness

Is my love enduring? Does it withstand challenges and setbacks? Do I give and withhold love according to my moods or is it constant regardless of the ups and downs of life?

Exercise for the day: Reassure a loved one of the constancy of your love

Day 5 ― Hod of Chesed: Humility in Loving-kindness

You can often get locked in love and be unable to forgive your beloved or to bend or compromise your position. Hod introduces the aspect of humility in love; the ability to rise above yourself and forgive or give in to the one you love just for the sake of love even if you're convinced that you're right. Arrogant love is not love.

Exercise for the day: Swallow your pride and reconcile with a loved one with whom you have quarreled.

Day 6 ― Yesod of Chesed: Bonding in Loving-kindness

For love to be eternal it requires bonding. A sense of togetherness which actualizes the love in a joint effort. An intimate connection, kinship and attachment, benefiting both parties. This bonding bears fruit; the fruit born out of a healthy union.

Exercise for the day: Start building something constructive together with a loved one

Day 7 ― Malchut of Chesed: Nobility in Loving-kindness

Mature love comes with ― and brings ― personal dignity. An intimate feeling of nobility and regality. Knowing your special place and contribution in this world. Any love that is debilitating and breaks the human spirit is no love at all. For love to be complete it must have the dimension of personal sovereignty.

Exercise for the day: Highlight an aspect of your love that has bolstered your spirit and enriched your life...and celebrate.

WEEK 2 ― GEVURAH: JUSTICE, DISCIPLINE, RESTRAINT, AWE

After the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people spent 49 days preparing for the most awesome experience in human history ― the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Just as the Jewish peoples' redemption from Egypt teaches us how to achieve inner freedom in our lives; so too, this 49-day period, called 'Sefirat Ha-Omer' the Counting of the Omer, is a time of intense character refinement and elevation.

During this time, the aspect of the human psyche that most requires refinement is the area of the emotions. The spectrum of human experience consists of seven emotional attributes, or sefirot. This week we continue Sefirat Ha'Omer, utilizing the seven dimensions of the seven emotional attributes. The first week after Pesach was dedicated to examining the aspect of chesed, loving-kindness. The second week corresponds to the emotional attribute of gevurah, discipline or justice.

If love (Chesed) is the bedrock of human expression, discipline (Gevurah) is the channel through which we express love. It gives our life and love direction and focus. Gevurah ― discipline and measure ― concentrates and directs our efforts, our love in the proper directions.

Day 8 ― Chesed of Gevurah: Loving-kindness in Discipline

The underlying intention and motive in discipline is love. Why do we measure our behavior, why do we establish standards and expect people to live up to them ― only because of love. Chesed of gevurah is the love in discipline; it is the recognition that your personal discipline and the discipline you expect of others is only an expression of love. It is the understanding that we have no right to judge others; we have a right only to love them and that includes wanting them to be their best.

Ask yourself: when I judge and criticize another is it in any way tinged with any of my own contempt and irritation? Is there any hidden satisfaction in his failure? Or is it only out of love for the other?

Exercise for the day: Before you criticize someone today, think twice: Is it out of concern and love?

Day 9 ― Gevurah of Gevurah: Discipline in Discipline

Examine the discipline factor of discipline: Is my discipline reasonably restrained or is it excessive? Do I have enough discipline in my life and in my interactions? Am I organized? Is my time used efficiently? Why do I have problems with discipline and what can I do to enhance it? Do I take time each day for personal accounting of my schedule and accomplishments?

Exercise for the day: Make a detailed plan for spending your day and at the end of the day see if you've lived up to it.

Day 10 ― Tiferet of Gevurah: Compassion in Discipline

Underlying and driving discipline must not only be love, but also compassion. Compassion is unconditional love. It is love just for the sake of love, not considering the others position. Tiferet is a result of total selflessness in the eyes of God. You love for no reason; you love because you are a reflection of God. Does my discipline have this element of compassion?

Exercise for the day: Be compassionate to someone you have reproached.

Day 11 ― Netzach of Gevurah: Endurance in Discipline

Effective discipline must be enduring and tenacious. Is my discipline consistent or only when forced? Do I follow through with discipline? Am I perceived as a weak disciplinarian?

Exercise for the day: Extend the plan you made on day two for a longer period of time listing short-term and long-term goals. Review and update it each day, and see how consistent you are and if you follow through.

Day 12 ― Hod of Gevurah: Humility in Discipline

The results of discipline and might without humility are obvious. The greatest catastrophes have occurred as a result of people sitting in arrogant judgment of others. Am I arrogant in the name of justice (what I consider just)? Do I ever think that I sit on a higher pedestal and bestow judgment on my subjects below? What about my children? Students?

Exercise for the day: Before judging anyone, insure that you are doing so selflessly with no personal bias

Day 13 ― Yesod of Gevurah: Bonding in Discipline

For discipline to be effective it must be coupled with commitment and bonding. Both in disciplining yourself and others there has to be a sense that the discipline is important for developing a stronger bond. Not that I discipline you, but that we are doing it together for our mutual benefit.

Exercise for the day: Demonstrate to your child or student how discipline is an expression of intensifying your bond and commitment to each other.

Day 14 ― Malchut of Gevurah: Nobility of Discipline

Discipline, like love, must enhance personal dignity. Discipline that breaks a person will backfire. Healthy discipline should bolster self-esteem and help elicit the best in a person; cultivating his sovereignty. Does my discipline cripple the human spirit; does it weaken or strengthen me and others?

Exercise for the day: When disciplining your child or student, foster his self-respect

WEEK 3 ― TIFERET ― HARMONY, COMPASSION

During the third week of Counting the Omer, we examine the emotional attribute of Tiferet or compassion. Tiferet blends and harmonizes the free outpouring love of Chesed with the discipline of Gevurah. Tiferet possesses this power by introducing a third dimension ― the dimension of truth, which is neither love nor discipline and therefore can integrate the two.

Truth is accessed through selflessness: rising above your ego and your predispositions, enabling you to realize truth. Truth gives you a clear and objective picture of yours and others' needs. This quality gives Tiferet its name, which means beauty: it blends the differing colors of love and discipline, and this harmony makes it beautiful.

Day 15 ― Chesed of Tiferet: Loving-kindness in Compassion

Examine the love aspect of compassion. Ask yourself: Is my compassion tender and loving or does it come across as pity? Is my sympathy condescending and patronizing? Even if my intention is otherwise, do others perceive it as such? Does my compassion overflow with love and warmth; is it expressed with enthusiasm, or is it static and lifeless?

Exercise for the day: When helping someone extend yourself in the fullest way; offer a smile or a loving gesture.

Day 16 ― Gevurah of Tiferet: Discipline in Compassion

For compassion to be effective and healthy it needs to be disciplined and focused. It requires discretion both to whom you express compassion, and in the measure of the compassion itself. It is recognizing when compassion should be expressed and when it should be withheld or limited. Discipline in compassion is knowing that being truly compassionate sometimes requires withholding compassion. Because compassion is not an expression of the bestower's needs but a response to the recipient's needs.

Exercise for the day: Express your compassion in a focused and constructive manner by addressing someone's specific needs.

Day 17 ― Tiferet of Tiferet: Compassion in Compassion

True compassion is limitless. It is not an extension of your needs and defined by your limited perspective. Compassion for another is achieved by having a selfless attitude, rising above yourself and placing yourself in the other person's situation and experience. Am I prepared and able to do that? If not, why? Do I express and actualize the compassion and empathy in my heart? What blocks me from expressing it? Is my compassion compassionate or self-serving? Is it compassion that comes out of guilt rather than genuine empathy? How does that affect and distort my compassion? Test yourself by seeing if you express compassion even when you don't feel guilty.

Exercise for the day: Express your compassion in a new way that goes beyond your previous limitations: express it towards someone to whom you have been callous.

Day 18 ― Netzach of Tiferet: Endurance in Compassion

Is my compassion enduring and consistent? Is it reliable or whimsical? Does it prevail among other forces in my life? Do I have the capacity to be compassionate even when I'm busy with other activities or only when it's comfortable for me? Am I ready to stand up and fight for another?

Exercise for the day: In the middle of your busy day take a moment and call someone who needs a compassionate word. Defend someone who is in need of sympathy even if it's not a popular position.

Day 19 ― Hod of Tiferet: Humility in Compassion

If compassion is not to be condescending, it must include humility. Hod is recognizing that my ability to be compassionate and giving does not make me better than the recipient; it is the acknowledgment and appreciation that by creating one who needs compassion God gave me the gift of being able to bestow compassion. Thus there is no place for haughtiness in compassion.

Do I feel superior because I am compassionate? Do I look down at those that need my compassion? Am I humble and thankful to God for giving me the ability to have compassion for others?

Exercise for the day: Express compassion in an anonymous fashion, not taking any personal credit.

Day 20 ― Yesod of Tiferet: Bonding in Compassion

For compassion to be fully realized, it needs bonding. It requires creating a channel between giver and receiver; a mutuality that extends beyond the moment of need. A bond that continues to live on. That is the most gratifying result of true compassion. Do you bond with the one you have compassion for, or do you remain apart? Does your interaction achieve anything beyond a single act of sympathy?
Exercise for the day: Ensure that something eternal is built as a result of your compassion.

Day 21 ― Malchut of Tiferet: Nobility in Compassion

Examine the dignity of your compassion. For compassion to be complete (and enhance the other six aspects of compassion) it must recognize and appreciate individual sovereignty. It should boost self-esteem and cultivate human dignity. Both your own dignity and the dignity of the one benefiting from your compassion.

Is my compassion expressed in a dignified manner? Does it elicit dignity in others? Do I recognize the fact that when I experience compassion as dignified it will reflect reciprocally in the one who receives compassion?

Exercise for the day: Rather than just giving charity, help the needy help themselves in a fashion that strengthens their dignity.

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[edu]

Thank you muman613 for supplying the viewpoint of Aish Hatora to explain the spiritual improvements of Sefirat Haomer.
If someone knows of additional viewpoints what the traits of
Chesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut represent I would like to read about it.
One of the things that is driving me to look for additional viewpoints is that some of our sources associate Chesed with Avraham (Abraham) Gevura with Yitzchak (Isaac) Tiferet with Yaakov (Jacob) Netzach with Moshe (Moses) Hod with Aharon (Aaron) Yesod with Yosef (Joseph) and Malchut with Dovid (David)
If Aish Hatora is completely correct this would be assigning the attribute of endurance to Moshe, humility to Aharon and bonding to Yosef. Now while it is true that these righteous individuals had all of these good traits, it still needs further clarification how endurance is highlighted in Moshe, more than other righteous individuals, or humility in Aharon or bonding in Yosef.
This is not a "knockout" question.
You might wish to attribute endurance to Moshe because his prophecy has more endurance for all generations, while many prophecies of other prophets are focused on temporary issues.
You might wish to assign humility to Aharon, because he showed no jealousy when G-d didn't pick him, but rather his younger brother to be the leader and redeemer of Israel (see Rashi on Shmot /Exodus 4:14)
And you might wish to assign the attribute of bonding to Yosef, because when he overlooked the wrongs done to him on a personal level in order to make a better bond within the whole house of Israel.
But I am still hoping for some other approach, to Netzach, Hod and Yesod, because Moshe was called by the Torah as the most humble of all people, so it doesn't seem proper to assign that trait to Aharon. Or if endurance is associated with Moshe and not Aharon, why then does the honor endure throughout the generation in Aharon's family since they are the Cohanim (Temple priests) while the honor of Moshe did not endure in his sons who received no permanent special privileges.
Or take the example of Yosef. In two places in the Torah he is called Nezir Echav Breishit/ Genesis 49:26 and Dvarim / Deut.  33:16. This is defined by Rashi as separate or separated from his brothers. This seems to be the exact opposite of bonding if Yesod is associated with bonding.