OMER Day 47: Hod shebeMalchut – Royal Humility in Leadership

The royal humility that makes every flame shine brighter

By: Yisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld

We have explored at length the quality of “Hod” – its humility, its resonance, and its quiet strength. But today, Hod is revealed within “Malchut” – the sefirah of kingship, leadership, and presence in the world.

A Midrash reveals the heart of this connection.

After Jacob’s passing, Joseph’s brothers became afraid. Would Joseph now take revenge for everything they had done to him? They sent word to him saying: “Before his death, our father asked you to forgive us.”

Joseph replied: “You intended harm against me, but Hashem turned it for good.”

And then the Torah says: “Vayenachem otam” – he comforted them. But what exactly did Joseph say?

The Midrash explains:

Joseph turned to them and said: “If ten candles cannot extinguish a single candle, how could one candle extinguish ten?”

At first glance, this sounds strange. Joseph was the viceroy of Egypt. He held absolute power. With a single command, he could have destroyed them. But Joseph spoke from a deeper awareness. Candles do not extinguish one another. When flames stand together, they shine even brighter.

Joseph said to them: “You did not extinguish me. You helped me shine.” And I, in turn, can only help you shine even brighter.

This is Hod shebeMalchut: Leadership that does not feel threatened by the light of others. True Malchut is not power over people. It is the power to elevate people. When Hod shines within Malchut, we no longer see others as competitors, but as candles. And the more candles there are, the brighter the space becomes.

We stop saying: “I can do this alone.” And begin to say: “Together, we can do it better.”

Remember: Candles do not extinguish other candles. They ignite a bonfire.

Continuation – Day 47 of the Omer! Hod shebeMalchut

I once heard a beautiful idea from Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi about the giving of the Torah.

At Sinai, Hashem commands us: “You shall not murder.” “You shall not commit adultery.” “Honor your father and your mother.” But on the surface… these seem obvious.

Why does Hashem command things humanity already understands?

Manitou explains that these are not only commandments – but also promises.

Hashem promises us that when we truly live according to: “I am Hashem your God” and “You shall have no other gods before Me,” then it will naturally follow that:

you will not murder,
you will not steal,
you will not betray,
and you will not covet.

When a person truly lives in awareness of Hashem, in inner truth and humility, life itself begins to turn toward good.

May it be granted to us to accept the Torah with truth, simplicity, and seriousness.

A thought for reflection – understanding Day 47

Day 47 carries a quiet, cosmic harmony within it. In gematria, it corresponds to the value of: “Ki tov” (כִּי־טוֹב) – “that it was good.”

These were Hashem’s first words after the creation of light. The first time the Torah uses the word “good.”

Thus, at the end of the Omer – the gateway to Sinai – we return to the first divine assessment:

It is good.
Not perfect.
Not complete.
But deeply, inherently good.

Forty-seven also corresponds to the numerical value of: Bitul (בִּטּוּל) – self-nullification.

Not self-erasure.
Not disappearance.

But humility that allows something greater to flow through us.

That is the posture of Malchut:

to become a vessel,
a receiver,
a channel for something beyond the self.

And it is no coincidence that Psalm 47 – “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to Hashem with joy!” – is recited seven times before the shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah.

It is the sound of coronation.
The acceptance of Hashem’s kingship.

Day 47 teaches us: There is something good in becoming a vessel. There is royalty in bitul. There is divine beauty in letting go of the self so that something greater can take root.

We stand at the edge of Sinai. The Torah is waiting. Can we become still enough to hear it?

The avodah of today

Positive practice:

Be a source of energy today. Let your presence illuminate the space around you.

Just as candles do not extinguish each other but instead shine brighter together – so too your encounters today should leave others feeling more alive, seen, and hopeful.

I once read a quote: “Be so happy that negative people cannot stay around you.”

But in the spirit of Rabbi Meir’s teaching in Beruria – that we should pray against sin, not against sinners – let us expand this: “Be so filled with light that negativity cannot remain in your presence.”

Connect to Hod shebeMalchut by making your joy contagious.

Speak words that strengthen. Offer an uplifting presence. Be someone whose inner light helps others shine. Let your encounters not pass unnoticed. Every encounter is a Malchut moment. An opportunity for something hidden to become revealed.

The Zohar teaches that Malchut is the place where all the higher sefirot are expressed in the world. That means:

your conversations,
your smile,
your smallest gestures
are holy ground.

Every soul you meet is a Torah.

Do not miss the verses. Ask yourself today consciously: What did I learn from this person? What did they awaken within me?

Do not despise the ordinary. It might be divine.

Kinyan Torah #46 – “Machkim et Rabbo” – Enlightening one’s teacher

We are nearing the end of our journey – and what a place to arrive at!

Machkim et Rabbo does not mean that one considers oneself wiser than one’s teacher. It is not arrogance. It does not only mean receiving light, but also bringing light. Most relationships fall into three categories:

those we give to,
those we share with,
and those from whom we receive.

But one who truly strives for Kinyan Torah understands: Even when I sit before my teacher, I bring my own light into the room.

That is not ego.
That is participation.

A true student is not passive. He comes with questions. With thoughts. With his own Torah experience. The Gemara says: “I learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most from my students.” That is the secret of Machkim et Rabbo: Even the teacher learns from a student who is fully awake and present.

It is not about being loud.
It is about being alive in the learning process.

Ask yourself today: Did I come to learning with my own Torah experience? Do I honor my teachers not only by listening, but by actively participating in the conversation? Such students become vessels for true wisdom.