For this fourth week of the Omer we look at “Netzach” on the right column of the Tree of Life. This is the side of expansion and creativity, which we’re going to push the envelope on just a bit. As with week #1, we will look into some ‘personality types,’ only these are a bit different – characters from the Winnie the Pooh stories.
Inasmuch as the 7 Habits from Stephen Covey’s book corresponded with the 7 Middot, there’s an equally amazing correlation between ten characters from these popular children’s stories and the entire structure of the 10 Sefirot. (It follows that this week’s Omer count might be a good one to share with children, using these examples.)
As noted in the section introduction, though the focus in the Omer Count is on the ‘lower seven,’ these emanate along the columns of right, center and left, beneath three upper Sefirot, called ‘Mochin’ (the intellect/brains) which are; Keter, Chokmah and Binah.
KETER (Crown) is the first of the Mochin and is placed above the center column. The idea of a crown is of course, “separate from and above” the body. (As opposed to the other Sefirot that all correlate to a part of the body.) Keter is thus seen as a “buffer” between G-d and the remaining Sefirot, all of which emanate from Keter. In the Pooh stories, all of the characters come out of the mind of Christopher Robin. Like Keter, these characters are part of him, yet distinctly separate from him. Young Mr. Robin is not the ‘G-d figure’ however, as even though he is separated from the rest, he is still within the greater story line. (In one episode he re-attaches Eeyore’s tail – an interesting act of ‘connectivity’ between himself (the Crown) and the last Sefirah of Malchut (Kingdom). ‘The actual idea of G-d’ remains invisible in the stories in the form of the author or narrator. (Whose voice or pencil does miraculously appear at rare times however!)
CHOKMAH (Wisdom) is the “Abba” (Father) figure above the right side. This is represented by the ‘wise’ Owl. Along with Kanga, he functions at an intellectual level in his relationship to the other characters. If you are familiar with Pooh stories, you know that his main concern is with the past, which is a characteristic of Chokmah.
BINAH (Understanding) is the “Imma” (Mother) figure above the left side. This is represented by Kanga, the mother kangaroo. Along with Owl, she provides intellectual oversight to the other characters, her focus being more on the future. She is the “mother above” the seven below. (i.e., Proverbs 9:1, Galatians 4:26)