Photo credit: Google images, air boat photo from early 1960's

Omer Day 9. Gevurah sheh b'gevurah, strength within strength. Contemplating this from my perch on the Tree of Life yesterday, my father's incredible ability to overcome his WWII military service-induced handicaps comes right to mind. He had always wanted to see the Everglades; to ride an airboat, and see the alligators. He was entranced by the miracles of nature. (Me, too!) So despite my mom's reluctance to risk taking him on the road...off we go, driving to Florida!

Oy, an impossibly long, steep, step-filled incline leads to the airboat. Certainly not the age of accessibility. As my father's face falls, so does my little kid heart, knowing how much this meant to him and how long my parents had saved for this rare trip. My father prayed, he still had faith in what is possible for humans at that time. I saw him fill with the light of what today I would call the spirit of divine gevurah within gevurah, after which ever so rapidly his prayer travelled throughout his/the Tree of Life and...

Daddy fell to the ground and faster than any of us could react, began rapidly rolling downhill to the airboat. A hand reached down to lift him up and he was soon sitting happily there-in waving for the rest of us to come down for the ride.

I also remember when my sons were home ill with the flu from school and I was going to stay home rabbinical school to care for them. That morning the doorbell rang at dawn, and there was my Dad saying: "Get going Tzatz (for tzatzkale) you don't want to miss class." He'd risen probably at dawn and driven from the other side of the state to ensure I wouldn't miss even one day of studies. Guess we made quite the pair of gevurahniks!

Who is your role model for filling with gevurah within gevurah? Behind the scenes I'm receiving a wide variety of delicious perceptions, interpretations and experiences on each pair. Feel free to post here if you don't require confidentiality. This was Day Nine. Before sunset I will post on Day Ten, b'ezrat Hashem, and finally be caught up to where we really are on this spiritual path to Sinai/Shavuot.

Photo credit: Google Images