Counting the Omer Day 39 – Netzach of Yesod

Netzach of Yesod – “Endurance of Foundation / Bonding.”

Do your bonds endure?

All too often our bonds seem ephemeral, based on superficial traits or qualities. As Jimmy Cox put it in his jazz standard, “No one knows you when you’re down and out” (I like the Eric Clapton version):

Once I lived the life of a millionaire, spendin’ my money I didn’t care
I carried my friends out for a good time, buying bootleg liquor, champagne and wine
When I begin to fall so low, I didn’t have a friend and no place to go
So if I ever get my hand on a dollar again, I’m gonna hold on to it ’til them eagles grin
Nobody knows you, when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny, and my friends I haven’t any …

The Tanakh gives us a great example of a bond that endures – the friendship between Jonathan and David. Jonathan protected his friend David from his father’s wrath. He was loyal to David, and never gave any signs of being jealous of David’s accomplishments or popularity. He was a loyal friend to the end.

Yesod is also “foundation,” and a solid, enduring foundation is clearly essential to any structure. A remarkable image from a few years ago shows the impact of a shoddy foundation: a skyscraper that toppled over, laying on its side on the ground. Unable to function. It’s the same with our personalities. If we have a solid foundation for who we are, we can whether all sorts of storms and calamities.