By: Jisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld
Sefirat HaOmer – Day 22
Chesed sheb’Netzach – Lovingkindness within Endurance
We enter the week of Netzach—
the sefirah of endurance, victory, and the ability to see things through to completion.
Netzach is like a conductor,
who not only perceives the harmony of all the elements, but also brings the music forward, allowing each instrument to express its unique sound.
And when Chesed emerges from Netzach, we are no longer speaking about fleeting acts of kindness—
we are speaking about love that endures.
A love that remains.
This kind of Chesed does not change with mood or circumstance.
It is not love
because one needs something or because someone lacks something.
It is love
because one wants to give.
It is proactive, not reactive.
Giving becomes a way of life.
True, lasting love does not arise from deficiency;
it is not pity.
It comes from a desire for connection, for building something that lasts.
This is precisely the kind of goodness that Netzach invites us into:
A steady, unwavering giving, without calculation.
A giving that is not focused on results,
but on relationship.
Let us learn to give from this inner place—
to love for the sake of love itself.
That is the power of Chesed sheb’Netzach.
A Thought to Reflect On – Day 22
The Power of the Alphabet – The Building Blocks of Creation
The number 22 immediately brings to mind the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
In Jewish thought, these are not merely letters—
they form the spiritual DNA of the universe.
Each letter is a channel, an instrument through which Hashem brought the world into existence.
As the Kabbalists teach,
every moment of creation,
every form of energy and matter, is shaped through these twenty-two sacred forms.
This is the power of speech as a creative force.
The opening verse of the Torah—
“Bereishit bara Elokim et hashamayim ve’et ha’aretz”
—contains exactly 22 Hebrew letters.
According to the Kabbalists, this verse was the primordial “big bang” of reality, the cosmic utterance through which everything could unfold.
Even more: the 22 letters are connected to the 10 sefirot—
the Divine attributes through which Hashem relates to the world.
The Ari teaches that the 10 sefirot flow into creation through 22 channels, connecting heaven and earth, soul and body, idea and expression.
In Judaism, the number 22 represents the power of formation—the ability to transform raw potential into refined language, structure, and relationship.
It is not only about quantity, but about quality.
A toolbox of sacred letters,
given to humanity to shape the world.
Use your words wisely.
They are not merely sounds—
they form the framework of reality.
Today’s Practice:
Lovingkindness – but authentic
Positive
Seek a form of ahavah (love) that does not calculate
why or how one gives,
but simply desires to give as a natural expression of love—
as a way of life.
And then recognize where giving flows most naturally,
as an expression of enduring ahavah.
Encouraging
Do not be led by impulses.
Be guided by the person
you want to become,
and by the person Hashem sees within you.
(Spontaneity is good—but only in areas where your character traits are already strong and healthy.)
Kinyan Torah #21: Mi’ut Sechok
Reducing Cynical Laughter
We have reached the final of the six mi’utim—
spiritual restraints that create space for Torah study.
Today’s focus is mi’ut sechok: reducing frivolous or cynical laughter.
Laughter is sacred—
the Torah even promises:
“Az yimalei sechok pinu”
“Then our mouths will be filled with laughter.”
But there is a difference between laughter that uplifts
and laughter that tears down.
The Sages warn against cynicism—leitzanut.
It extinguishes inner inspiration.
Amalek represents the force of coldness,
of mockery—
the one who ridicules the sacred fire.
And cynicism is its most powerful weapon.
As the Sages say, Amalek
“jumped into the boiling bath and cooled it,”
making it easier for others to dismiss the sacred.
Mi’ut sechok does not mean we never laugh.
It means
we choose a kind of laughter
that opens hearts, rather than hurts others.
It means
rejecting sarcasm that destroys,
and choosing joy that builds.
When we reduce empty talk,
when we laugh with others and not at them,
when we guard ourselves from cheap humor—
we become vessels for true Torah.
Use your smile as a tool for connection,
not separation.
Let your joy become a channel for depth.
