If you are like me, you spend a decent amount of time counting. You may count the unread emails in your inbox, the days until your next paycheck, and/or the number of birthday parties your children are attending this year.
Jewishly, too, we seem to always be counting. Our 28-day months are timed with the cycle of the moon. Every week, we count the days until we arrive at Shabbat, then every seven years, we mark a shmitah year, and after seven of those cycles, we mark the Jubilee year.
We are currently in a period of time, the Omer, where we count each day from Passover to Shavuot (another cycle based on the number seven). And, our Torah portion this week, the first in the book of Numbers, dedicates significant ink to listing out the number of males of fighting age in each tribe.
But why? Why do we and why does Judaism spend so much time counting?
While not all counting is equal, Judaism invites us to count because it is a way of paying attention. Counting allows us to find meaning in each cycle and every change.
What are some things that you are counting at this moment in your life? What do you want to pay more attention to? How can you find meaning in the marching of your days?