The Jewish calendar presently has us on a Journey called ‘the counting of the Omer’.
Each night, we take the time to enumerate which day we’re entering, and to take an introspective look at ourselves from that day’s specific angle.
The seven weeks break down into seven general soul rhythms, and each rhythm is further subdivided into seven.
This week, we focus on an element of our personalities called Tiferet in Hebrew.
In Hebrew, Tiferet means 'beauty', but 'Authenticity' best expresses its character.
Tiferet is the portal through which one’s core values flow into the normal 'operating system'.
For example: If my child misbehaves, my instinct may be to react negatively. But when I pause to recognize my deep desire for his/her healthy growth, and that my reaction will send him/her an important message about patient behavior, my response will reflect my larger vision.
Tiferet conducts the light of deeper values into one’s consciousness, so that we can re-calibrate our feelings and actions.
In this way. it brings symmetry to internal struggles.
For example:
A homeless person asks me for a quarter. In kindness, I reach into my pocket. Then I pause. Considering how the money may actually be spent, I break out of my giving mode to evaluate the situation.
I now have conflicting instincts: Give? Withhold?
Here, Tiferet expresses my deeper drive - beyond these instincts - to consider what truly concerns me:
Do I genuinely want to pursue my good will?
Do I genuinely want to be/feel responsible?
Or do I genuinely want to help this person?
If I truly want to help, perhaps we should walk to a store where I can buy him something to eat. That would satisfy my desire for fraternity and my desire to temper my giving impulse.
By plugging into my deeply-held objective, I am able to act authentically, and to actually synthesize my shallower instincts.
Thus, Tiferet is truth. When my actions and feelings don't originate from my core values, they're less than authentic. They’re not in sync with the real me.
And finally, Tiferet is empathy.
Empathy takes kindness the extra mile, by genuinely identifying with another's struggle.
Kindness is my response to your pain. Empathy is my response to our pain.
When we have a soul tool that anchors behavior to core values, bringing authenticity and symmetry to our behaviors and relationships, is it any wonder we call it (Tiferet) 'Beauty'?
ב"ה