Weekly Alignment

During Sefira we learn Pirkei Avos. On each week of Sefira we learn that which corresponds to its Midda. The first week of Sefira is Pesach and that is when we read Shir Hashirim, the love song. That is the Midda of Chessed which is the trait we work on that week. The following week we begin Pirkei Avos which starts Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and the Gemara[1] states אנכי ולא י-ה-י-ה לך מפי הגבורה שמענום. This is the characteristic of Gevura, Din, that which we work on the second week of Sefira. The third week matches up with the second chapter of Avos which begins what is the דרך ישרה that man should choose for himself. The answer: כל שהיא תפארת לעשה ותפארת.... This is the attribute of Tiferes, that which we improve on in the third week, The fourth week is Netzach and the third chapter starts, consider three things and you won’t come to sin. This helps one be victorious over the Yetzer Hara leading one to an eternal life in the next world. Netzach means victory and eternity. Then comes the trait of הוד. This corresponds to the fourth chapter which opens up, who is wise, one who learns from everyone. That requires submissiveness (הוד). Next is יסוד and the fifth chapter starts that the world was created with 10 utterances. This is just as יסוד brings forth creations. The last Sefira is Malchus and the last chapter is about acquiring Torah as it is called קנין התורה. After we work on these Middos we get to Torah, Shavuos. This pattern is in accordance with דרך ארץ קדמה לתורה[2] as first we work on our Middos and then comes the Torah, Shavuos.