Want To Count? Contribute. (Bamidbar)
As they begin their journey into Israel, the Jews are counted (Numbers 1:1). In order to be counted you had to bring a “half shekel” donation to Moshe and Aaron. You had to contribute.
A common mistake parents make is the belief that their job is to make their children FEEL good. It is not. It is the parent’s job to teach the child how to DO good, to contribute. Life is about contribution and when we contribute to something bigger than ourselves, we connect with the purpose for which we were created. A parent’s job is to facilitate this connection.