A Moment in Time: “Passover to Shavuot: Counting or Harnessing the Days?”

Dear all,

When I first saw Maya’s hands, I began to worry, “Yikes, PLEASE don’t schmutz up anything!”

But I then realized … Someday I will look back at this tender moment in time wistfully, yearning for the wonderment that comes with parenting a young child.

Ten sticky fingers. Ten incredible reasons to harness time.

This season between the Festivals of Passover and Shavuot, Jews traditionally count off each day with a measurement of barley. We call this “counting the omer.”

Are we counting the days in anticipation of something at the end?

Or are we harnessing amazing possibilities that accompany each day?

I would hope that we measure each day by the opportunity to harness goodness. We have the ability to recognize the beauty that surrounds us. We shouldn’t always be so focused on arriving there – but rather on our journey. We don’t want to miss out on all the sticky little fingers that create blessings in our lives.

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro