by Rabbi David Woznica
We have entered a period of the year where we count the Omer. Historically, the Omer was a measure of grain collected by Jewish Pilgrims as an offering to the Temple, helping ensure its ongoing operation. Over time, counting the Omer commingled with the Biblical injunction of highlighting each of the 49 days (7 weeks) between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot.
Passover and Shavuot are intertwined festivals. Passover, while vital in its message of physical freedom, loses meaning without spiritual freedom. Shavuot, which celebrates the receiving of the Torah, or spiritual freedom, needs the physical freedom sought during Passover and subsequent Exodus leading to the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.
At Mt. Sinai, God chose us, the Jewish People. What does that mean? What is our role as members of God’s chosen people? Finding an answer(s) to that question often poses a challenge. Here is one response that resonates with me. God chose the Jewish People in order to serve as a divinely guided example. Put differently, at Mt. Sinai, God chose us to be an Ohr La-Goyim, a light unto the nations.
It is vital that we Jews continue to strive to be worthy of God’s chosen People; that we continue to look to the Torah as our God-given moral guide. If we do, and if we convey the importance of that role to the next generation, and if they embrace it, not only will we have shaped a generation of committed Jews, our world will be a better place.
Shabbat Shalom