Shalom my friends, this is Simcha Hochbaum of Hebron standing outside the Maarat HaMachpela.
Anything in life that’s really important that we value, that we cherish, you always find a way to count.
People love to count their real estate, their assets, their special vacation days that they have. Other people count different materialistic assets that they have acquired. But we Jewish people count our days, our special days are special moments.
This Shabbat we’re starting the book of Bamidbar, the Sefer HaPekudim. There, Hashem tells Moshe to count the Jewish people as a preparation to get ready to conquer the land of Israel.
This week we also count the years that the Har HaBayit was liberated.
The Kotel was liberated, and once again we have access to the second holiest site, the Maarat HaMachpela.
We’re also in the middle of counting our days, the Sefirat HaOmer that every day of getting close to Mount Sinai, every day we’re prepping ourselves, getting ready for that great, great national wedding of HaKadosh Baruch Hu and the Jewish people via the Torah.
When a bride & groom are getting married they sometimes have a countdown. Every day they feel they’re getting closer to the chuppah, to that great oneness, that great unity.
And so too here we’re counting our days with great excitement and anticipation.
These two great gifts of Eretz Yisrael and the Torah.
As we count our days, we should guard over the Torah and the Holy Land and the Torah, the Holy Land should guard over and protect us.
And God willing, by showing the preciousness of these days and the preciousness of these gifts, by counting them, you should be privileged to the Geula Shaleima and to see that great, great wedding day the holy Torah. Shabbat Shalom. Hag Sameach.
