This week, we conclude our omer counting with Malchut. Generally translated as kingship or sovereignty, this week’s s’firah allows us to turn our minds to those who work tirelessly off the ice to create the makeup of an NHL team. Malchut is understood as the synthesis of all attributes of God, or the multiple ways in which one experiences the divine presence. To create, implement, and run a hockey team, … Continue reading Malchut – מלכות
As we continue counting the Omer, we have introduced the week of Yesod, which I have been told by rabbis I trust to translate as “foundation.” Yesod is associated with the power to contact, connect, and communicate. Before we go any further, take a look at this textbook example of “contact, connect, and communicate,” known to Vancouverites and Canucks fans around the world only as … Continue reading Yesod – יסוד
Apologies for not getting our hockey-starved, Omer-obsessed fans something for this past week’s sefirah. And what a week to (almost) miss! Hod, or glory, is the counterpoint to Netzach, and is often thought of as the glory of humility. The kabbalists understood Hod (along with Netzach) to be associated with the feet of the anthropomorphic image of God, so a particularly grounded image of glory … Continue reading Hod – הוד
Imagine yourself playing over 1,500 games in the NHL. Many goals, points, and highlight-reel moments. With all the magical moments, there are also countless hits, injuries, and painful losses. It is a long and intense NHL season, 82 games if you’re healthy, but the ones who compete and are the most passionate, they make a lasting impression. The ones who play 82 games over multiple … Continue reading Players that Endure, and Eternal Moments
This week’s sefirah, Netzach, takes us out of the realm of character traits (love, might, and beauty) and into the realm of time. Netzach, commonly translated as “eternity,” brings to mind the part of God that is beyond time, that predates the universe and for whom a thousand years is but a day (Tehillim 90:4). This sefirah, then, is less about who God is than … Continue reading Netzach – נצח
I I first fell in love with the game of hockey when I was around seven years old. Countless moments are embedded in my head, moments that remind me of the magic and beauty that hockey can bring. Elyssa wrote an incredible article, so I get the easy job. Hockey for me has always been about community, so I reached out to my friends and … Continue reading Hockey’s Most Beautiful Moments
By Elyssa Hurwitz It’s week three into our counting of the omer, and we’re really skatin’ along here folks! This week brings us the sfirah known as tiferet, which we translate as “beauty.” Tiferet is smack-dab in the middle of both the yosher (upright) and ish (man) diagrammatic representations of the sfirot, which means it is a model of the left side (symbolic of receiving) … Continue reading Tiferet – תפארת
In the National Hockey League, one player is given the honour of having the “C” placed on his sweater. This is one of the main reasons the captain of a hockey team is more important than the captain, or captains, of teams in other major sports. In other organized sports, the team captain is quite often the superstar of the group, or the best player … Continue reading What Does it Take to be a Captain in the NHL?
Is hockey hard? I don’t know, you tell me. We need to have the strength and power of a football player, the stamina of a marathon runner, and the concentration of a brain surgeon. But we need to put all this together while moving at high speeds on a cold and slippery surface while five other guys use clubs to try and kill us, oh … Continue reading Gevurah – גבורה
Each year, the National Hockey League awards one player with the “Lady Byng Memorial Trophy”. It is given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. To win the award, you have to be a top point producer in the league, while maintaining composure in high-pressure situations. Typically, the best … Continue reading The 5 Most Sportsmanlike Hockey Players
Omertime 