A word of Torah: 
        Jewish mystics associate each of the seven weeks between Pesah and Shavuot with the qualities of God. The first qualities/sefirot reflect on how we approach the world. We began with hesed—love and an openness to what lies ahead. Even as we embrace the world, the aspect of gevurah reminds us that it is also necessary to set limits both for our sake as well as for the sake of others. In the Kabbalistic myth, God creates the world from love, but soon “realizes” that in order for the world to exist, God needs to withdraw to allow space for anything else. We too need to withdraw/tzimtzum in order to allow for others in our life to flourish and grow. With hesed and gevurah we find the balance in the third aspect/tiferet/emet, beauty and truth. We discover the beauty in the seeming conflict between love and limits. We understand that the ebb and flow in our psyche is the truth of human existence. It is not a mark of failure to be imperfect.  It is the dynamic energy of life.
        The second triad in the countdown leading up to Shavuot consists of netzah, hod, yesod. We move from the nature of our being to focusing on how we act in the world. The qualities of endurance, fortitude, determination, certitude, energy and commitment are associated with netzah. While often translated as “victory,” netzah really has more to do with achievement. It is the sefirah of creativity. Like hesed, its energy flows outward. As the sefirah of creativity, it has no limits and boundaries. It is the sefirah that reminds us that we are powerful; we are “little lower than angels.”
        The qualities of humility, yielding, modesty, patience, planning, calm, forgiveness and compromise are associated with hod. Hod focuses the energy of netzah. It takes creativity and actualizes it in reality. It reminds us that we are not always right, and there are times when change and compromise may be necessary. Our sense of humility comes from a recognition of the limitations of our power. True, we are little lower than angels but we are also dust and ashes. We are imperfect and mortal, no matter how powerful we seem. Hod can also be connected with hoda’ah, a sense of gratitude. Unlike the striving associated with netzah, in hod we experience gratitude for the blessings that we have. We remember to take a breath. Even as netzah calls upon us to engage in the work that needs to be done, hod reminds us that it is not possible for us to finish it all.