Time is money, but not when it comes to our children
Counting the omer as parenting allegory
By Rabbi Shneur Wilhelm, Principal
I recently saw a short video of a boy trying hard to get his mom’s attention while she’s on the phone. After trying for a few minutes, he leaves the room and returns, carrying his own small bank. He turns to his mom and asks, “Mom, how much do you get paid per hour?” She responds, “$30.” “Mom,” her son continues, “I have $15. Can I have a half hour of your time?”
This brief clip provided a heart-wrenching reminder that our hopes and dreams -- our children -- look to us, desire -- and indeed deserve -- our time and attention.
The act of counting the omer -- each day of the 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot -- is a keen reminder of the value of each day. Each day is its own individual mitzvah, each with its own individual blessing. But, taken all together, each of those 49 days leads to the revelation at Sinai.In other words, the parts make up the whole, just as every opportunity seized leads to a composite success. Each moment with your child is an opportunity, and the composite helps create the whole child, his or her full childhood. That’s a success; that’s a revelation.