Counting the Omer Day 3

Today is Tiferet she b'Chesed - a day of compassion in a week of loving kindness.

For today's counting, I offer this article from the chabad.org website. It's about using the seven attributes we are using to count the omer - chesed/loving kindness; Gevurah/strength,discipline; Tiferet/beauty,harmony,compassion; Netzach/endurance,determination; Hod/devotion,humility; Yesod/foundation,connection; Malchut/majesty,dignity - when communicating with children.

I actually think that adults can use these lessons in communicating with each other. If we can learn to speak from those places, we can better understand and connect with all those around us.


On a lighter note, I bring you this blurb from the "Sipping News" page in today's SF Chronicle Wine Section:

Passover palate cleanser

Matzo made a welcome cameo at The Chronicle's wine tasting panel this week. Not that we don't like to mark Passover, but we can't chalk this up to a sudden bout of religiosity. And we weren't hunting for the perfect pairing for unleavened bread. Let's face it: Matzo doesn't taste like much of anything.

But that particular attribute (or lack thereof) happens to make it an ideal palate cleanser for wine tasting, even better than our usual packets of water crackers. It's too early to say that we'll make the switch permanent, but if you see an extra package on store shelves this week, keep this potential use in mind -- especially since stores will be trying to clear their inventory as of next week. And if there's a sudden run on matzo in markets frequented by sommeliers (or in a five-block radius of Fifth and Mission streets), don't say we didn't tell you so.

Keep this in mind when you're looking for a gift for that hard-to-buy-for wine connoisseur.