The nineteenth night of the Omer corresponds to The Hod of Tiferes. Hod represents humility, and with Tiferes it teaches us to look for the beauty in being humble. Moshe said “May my teachings penetrate like rain” (Devarim 32:2)
Rain falls the same on every type of plant, whether the plant grows tall or short, gives off fruit or gives thorns. Each plant will grow in its own way. As we know water is compared to Torah, and perhaps if we hang out with the right crowd it will always be “raining”. We receive an abundance of this “water” that descends straight from God. And just like plants, the Torah descends the same for each of us. But still it is up to the receiver on how we allow the rain to affect us. It is up to us to absorb the Torah into our roots and nurture ourselves, each growing in our own way. Yet the only way to become a huge flourishing tree is to start small for if we start big there may not be enough water to sustain us and we will lose our progress. Everything is one step at a time and step one is to be humble. A tree which has delicious fruits to share has its branches bent low to the ground. Only a tree that is barren and has nothing to give stands upright, haughtily reaching into the sky. This is the essence of being humble. When we make a brocha – we say; Baruch Atah Hashem – Blessed are You Hashem… Why don’t we just say Blessed is Hashem? Why must we involve the Atah? It is teaching us to be humble. By saying You, You Hashem are the sole provider in my life, we recognize Gods blessings and presence in the world. By saying Baruch Atah… We involve Hashem in yet another aspect of our lives, and wherever man makes room for God, God enters.