Counting the Omer with barley and cereal boxes.
Week 5-/(Hod) SPLENDOR-Day 4/(Netzach) ENDURANCE
I love the enduring habit of counting the omer. There are times I wish I could for just a moment be alive in the times of the Temple to have seen the omer of barley brought in. Of course then I think to myself there is nothing quite as lovely as teaching this custom to my young charges. There is something about getting them excited in learning about the habit and finding new ways that will make them want to continue to do it even after they leave from my immediate space. When I came up with the idea of combining the counting along with having the children bring in full boxes of cereal, (as if they were farmers bringing in a portion of their crops), to later give to the poor along with taking turns holding a sheaf of barley, well it just seemed to have everything. We would count, we would help those who were hungry, we would remember the origin of the custom and stacking up the boxes would add just enough whimsy to interest the children. Perfect.
After nightfall on Friday:
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM
ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is thirty-two days which is four weeks and four days of the omer.
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