This past Tuesday was Election Day. One might ask why we bother to go and vote. What does one vote matter? If we start comparing ourselves to the “big decision makers,” we may ask ourselves, “Who am I to even have an opinion?” True, our democracy gives us this right to vote, but beyond this right, does it really count for anything?
This week we finish counting the Omer and we are about to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. For the last 49 days, every single day we have been counting one day of the Omer, two days, etc. We didn’t just do this as a community, but also as individuals. Why? What is the significance? What is the importance of our counting?
Counting the Omer has three aspects to it. 1. The idea of counting in its own right, 2. The fact that we are counting something of importance, and 3. By counting, we are elevating a mundane day into a holy day. All the days of the Omer become “holy” because of our counting. They fall into a category all their own.
Having our Jewish voices heard by voting makes the policies that result from our vote ours. We can take ownership.
The same is true with the Torah, and this is why G-d wants us to count each and every day as we approach the holiday of Shavuot, the day of receiving the Torah every year. In order to make the Torah “ours,” we have to “vote” for it. We have to make it count. By not only looking forward to the holiday, but by counting the days as we approach the holiday, we anticipate it in a very personal way. We are taking ownership of it. And by doing so, we are also elevating the world around us to make the world a holy place for G-d.