Close To Torah

The great Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg zt”l said on several occasions that the Moadim that we experience annually are not anniversaries. They are reliving that initial experience once again. I heard from the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshvia in Cleveland Rav Mordechai Gifter zt”l that Moed comes from the word vaad, a meeting or commencement. That means that every Moed that we have is a chance to have a meeting with the Ribono Shel Olam in a way that we cannot have the rest of the year. That means that through a Moed we come to embrace something that we cannot gain the rest of the year. We then take that newly found treasure and incorporate it in to our lives. Just as we must breath constantly so too we must go through the year with these breaths of closeness constantly. We are both physical and very much spiritual. That means that just as we need physical nourishment so too we need spiritual nourishment. That nourishment is found through the toil of Mitzvos and the learning of Torah. The Mitzvos exist in several manifestations, i.e. in a location, in a time or through a physical action. Those are the three different natures of Mitzvos that we find. Some are capable of being observed throughout the year, while some are limited to certain time periods. On the other hand, some are all year long but are only in certain locations. The last group being to only certain people and certain aspects of the person. The Moadim incorporate these three natures of Mitzvos and utilize all of them in combination with the Holy Shabbos to give sustenance to Man and allow him to do his duties of this World.

These meetings with us and the Almighty are our opportunity to grasp the essential nutrients that we need for the year and this moment itself. That means that each Moed of the year has its own special aspects to give us. Therefore, it is logical to say that each one of these aspects must come in a certain order. As we said in the previous article the revelation of the aspects of each Moed are very particular and unique to each one. Therefore each Moed must come the same time every year to allow us to grab those nutrients at the right time.

The Rabbinical Moadim are slightly different. The Biblical Moadim were commanded at the same time. That means that they were all essential to us at the time of their commandment. The Rabbinical Moadim (Purim and Chanukah) were enacted after each other with due time in between them. If that is the case then the aspect that we need to grab by the later one must have not been necessary by the first one. In fact the Moed of Purim occurred several hunded of years prior to Chanukah. That being true whatever had been needed for the Moed of Chanukah to occur it was not needed at the time of Purim. With that said we have a deeper question. Within the order of the Moadim the Moed of Chanukah comes prior to the Moed of Purim. As per what we said before that whatever aspect we needed to grab by Chanukah it was not needed by the time of Purim. If that is true why is it needed for us to relive the experience of Chanukah prior to Purim!?

I believe that this question can become much clearer by looking at another question. It is clear that Yitzchak Avinu is written of the least out of the three Avos. Why is that? Perhaps we can suggest the following reality for this question. Generally speaking, Mankind has a desire to see his accomplishments immediately. Waiting to see the results of your hard work is a very difficult task for many as it requires great belief that you are doing that which is necessary to produce the result you want. When you see the results immediately you get the satisfaction of knowing your work paid off. To our dismay, this shortcoming is something every one of us deals with daily. This is found both in our physical and spiritual lives.^[1] It is the Mesiras Nefesh that we put in to all of our lives that defines who we are. Such emphasis on one point for one’s entire existence is a great deal. That is as I have said in the past the act of giving up your chance to continue to do that task that is greater than all of them. The greatest possible benefit we can have is through the observance of Mitzvos. Those Mitzvos provide us with Life and purpose. To give up that benefit by giving up your Life for its greater cause is surely greater than all that you could have been granted in this world. You are cutting yourself off from further benefit by performing the greatest act of glorification of the name of the Almighty possible. You are giving up your chance to exist for yourself, to rise to an existence past Life itself! That is the reason why Yitzchak Avinu need not be written in the Torah at length. His Life personifies the midah of Din. The ultimate din is through purging your existence from this world. The other Avos represent much more complex midos that require a greater precedent. Giving up your life for Kiddush Hashem is the top of the levels that you have reach in your observance.

Now we can take this understanding and apply it to our question about Chanukah and Purim. The chag of Purim deals with the genocide of the entire people of Yisroel, regardless of there beliefs. The chag of Chanukah has nothing to do with a nation, rather it is purely against the culture of Yisroel. The Greeks wanted to assimilate the People of Yisroel not destroy them. Thus killing the definition of the Jewish People, as we are a chosen nation that is not among the other nations. Purim came prior to Chanukah because there lives at stake were first put into question. It is much easier to be willing to give up your lives for the sake of something as great as Torah but its even easier when it is for yourself. The Jewish people were given the miracle of Purim to appreciate the lives that they have for being a separate nation from the rest of the world. That led to a new acceptance of the yolk of the Torah and its Mitzvos on the chag of Purim. The chag of Chanukah is the miracle that we withstood the force of the nations to assimilate to be one people. We won the battles against the Greeks, but above all the kedushah of the Holy Temple remained. That pure oil started the flame of Torah that exists on Chanukah. It is much easier to give up your life by Purim than keep your standards of living by Chanukah. Though it was below the People of Yisroel as the time of Purim to assimilate among the nations as they only needed inspiration in the mitzvos. The People of Yisroel at the time of Chanukah were battling the pressures of the Greek Culture which was much more difficult to keep, as they are more deeply rooted in minus.

On this Chanukah may we all take in the bright lights that lay before us. May we grasp the great ohr that is revealed to us that had been reserved for the righteous. May we internalize that light and allow it to shine through our actions from this year to the next. Through this Chanukah we can light the dark path that lay before us, the path that is so evident. Let that light direct us to the new mikdash, to fill it with a new light of Torah and Avodah.

1. I really don’t like to split that as the goal is to make them one. Though whenever I mention physical and spiritual it doesn’t mean that everything should be done for the sake of the spiritual. I am emphasizing that the activities that we do in there raw form exist in both platforms. [↩]

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Machshuvah, Moadim / Tekufos Limud HaTorah, Shviras HaMidos, Zman

ואיש כי ימכור בית מושב עיר חומה… ימים תהיה גאולתו (כה:כט).

“If a man sold his ancestral home inside a walled city… he has one year to redeem it back” (25:29).

The Torah uses the word “ימים, days” to connote a time period of one year. Why doesn’t the Torah just say “שנה, year”? What lesson lies behind this strange usage?

Let us examine two other places where this word is used to mean a year which will help us understand the message behind it. Firstly, Avraham and Sarah’s advanced ages are described as “באים בימים, they were coming in their days“. Secondly, Lavan demanded that before Rivkah leave to marry Yitzchok, she should remain at home for “ימים”, which Chazal tell us meant one year. Why not just use the proper word?

The lesson here is that a productive person does not see his life as years, rather, his focus is on making every day count! Every individual day is utilized to its fullest, thus building the large scheme of his lifetime. Rav Mordechai Gifter zt”l compares life to the construction of a magnificent crown. Every day is a gem that adds to its splendor. If one gem is missing, it does make a difference though.

The verse in Parshas Eikev states, “מראשית השנה עד אחרית שנה, from the beginning of the year until year’s end”. The famous insight expressed is an explanation as to why the year is referred to first in definite article form, “the year”, and then at the end of the verse “the” is omitted? As a new year begins a person excitedly decides that this is going to be the year (of growth and improvement). Sadly, as the time goes by, it remains the same old, plain “year”!

You may have heard this before, but I would like to explain it in a very positive way, which I think is the main point and depth of the thought.

Why does one fail to make it the year!? The answer to this quandary is of utmost importance to us, because we want to succeed! Precisely because one focused only on the entire year! To state that one will improve this year, is all too general to ever be acted upon! Only one that lives with short-term goals as well, will achieve success and fulfillment! We must train ourselves not to focus on the year, but rather to see the day and seize the opportunity! This mind-set makes all the difference. It invigorates and mobilizes one to act fast and not hide behind general plans!

Avraham and Sarah’s lives are described as “days” because this was precisely how they lived. Every day was thought out and used wisely. On the flip side, Lavan wanted to prevent the creation of Klal Yisrael by his sister and Yitzchok, thus to him, in an evil sense, he saw the value of every single day that he could delay their union!

The Torah’s use of “days” as a synonym for “year” teaches us a most relevant message. King David so eloquently expresses this message in Tehillim. “זה היום עשה ה’, Hashem endowed me with this day, I will rejoice and be happy as I utilize it properly!”

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Parshas Behar Goal, Growth, Zman

This parshah captures the remaining three makos that are to be afflicted upon the people of Egypt. Having already dispensed the nine makos the still stubborn Pharoh is given warning of the final makah that will be administered. The Torah then says that yet again Pharoh refuses to free the people of Yisroel. The next parshah written in the Torah is the famous “החדש הזה לכם”, or “this month will be for them”. As is known by many Chazal tell us that really the Torah could have began from this very pasuk. This pasuk is the true beginning of the people of Yisroel and their relationship to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. It is interesting to note that this parshah is found right in the middle of the final makah, before the actual makah is carried out. The mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh is the beginning of this binding relationship between Yisroel and Hashem. The outline of the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach is found directly following the mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh, it is unquestionably connected. Following the detail of the Korbon Pesach and some obligations to be carried out on Pesach as well, comes the final makah, makas b’choros. Up until the seventh aliyah the Torah discusses the beginning of the long awaited Yitzias Mitzrayim. Except for the point of difficulty that I already mentioned regarding the seemingly awkward break between the warning of the makah and its carrying out I understand the flow of the parshiyos. Comes the seventh aliyah and I am lost.

The seventh aliyah begins with the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor. We then find the Torah going back to further discuss the mitzvos of Pesach, with the addition of the mitzvah of Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim. Following that the Torah discusses the mitzvah of Tefillin then reverts to discussing the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor. Then the Torah goes back to discussing Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim and finally ending with Tefillin. This back and forth is of course precise and the best way to bring out the points mentioned. We must remember that if the Torah wanted to write these pasukim in a straight flowing fashion it could  have. The reason that these different ideas are placed next to each other must of course be to teach something about each one of them. B’ezras Hashem we will look into these pasukim and try to clarify some of the mysteries that lye below them.

As for the first question we asked in regards to the seeming interruption between the warning of the makah achronah and its execution. The Torah discusses the mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh which leads into the laws of Pesach. There is a direct connection between the concept of B’chor and Kiddish HaChodesh. The B’chor is the first of the children that are born. The B’chor is of course the argument found between Yaakov and Esav. It is also found between the shvutim, as Yosef is regarded as b’chor. The b’chor is the legacy of the family, he is destined with continuing the name of the family. Through the act of murdering the b’chor the legacy of the family is also destroyed. The first fruit is always the most dear. That is possibly why Hashem opened the rechem of Leah in order that she be deemed the bearer of the b’chor. The idea of Kiddish HaChodesh is that it is also the first of the year and the first of the months. The difference is that we determine the chodesh. The chodesh is the bechinah of Olam L’matah, b’chor is the bechinah of Olam Ha’elyon. We declare the kedushah of the chodesh and infuse it with kedushah. The b’chor is born kadosh and we simply declare its nature of kedushah. I have not yet discussed the parallel between makas b’choros and the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor, that is in the second answer. The point I want to bring out here is that the makah of b’chor is complete nullification of all that you have been given.

Says the pasuk, “ויהי כי הקשה פרעה לשלחנו ויהרג ה’ כל בכור בארץ מצרים מבכר אדם ועד בכור בהמה על כן אני זבח לה’ כל פטר רחם הזכרים וכל בכור בני אפדה”(Shemos 13, 15-16). What is the reason that we keep the Kedushas B’chor, because Hashem killed all of the b’chorim in the land of Egypt. It seems to be the fact that the b’chorei mitzrayim were all killed that we have such an obligation. Perhaps the emphasis of the pasuk is the other way around, it is because Hashem killed the b’chorim therefore we have b’chor. At first I wanted to say that the emphasis was on the fact that Hashem hardened the heart of Pharoh. Why would that make a difference? I would suggest that it was due to our needs that the b’chorim had to be killed as they provided the necessary lessons of Imunah that we needed. It is a nice thought but it is difficult to say that would be the sole reason for the mizvah of b’chor. All the faculties of the world are here for us to worship Hashem properly, it is a zchus to have such a purpose,  not the opposite. I would like to suggest another understanding of the pasuk. This will explain the connection between Tefillin and b’chor.

The nature of Tefillin is that they are a sign of rememberance. The ose that they contain binds us both through our minds ands our hands. An attribute of the tefillin is that they are to be placed in between the eyes. Our eyes are the tool that enables us to direct ourselves. Every single magnificent detail of the body is for a purpose both practicaly and in their representation as well. Practically speaking, if you try to walk in a straight line and turn your head you will find yourself drifting off the path. The nature of man is that he walks in the direction that he faces. The place in between our eyes is what we define as the central path. The path in which we aspire to go is the one that we face. When we put the tefillin in between our eyes we are placing the will of Hashem ahead of us guiding our path. This is also the nature of the tefillin shel yad, as it binds our actions to be under the guidance of Torah. We see that the tefillin are there to impose a control on our physical and metaphysical life. We also find that they are supposed to provide a reminder to the miracles of yitzias mitzrayim and all of its wonder. The way the tefillin acheive this in addition to being our central focus point of life they also provide us with a constant connection to kedushah. As the pasuk says that the tefillin will be למען תהיה תורת ה’ בפיך, that means that the tefillin will provide you with Torah constantly. Most specifically it will be in your mouth. I asked my Rebbi, Rav Nochum Lansky Shlit”a if that meant that through the ose of the tefillin will be zoceh to constantly having Torah in our mouths? Meaning to say that through the reminder of the tefillin we will become involved in the study of Torah. Rebbi responded that it is more than that – tefillin provide Torah in your mouth! That means that tefillin which is an ose is the words of Torah in your mouth, meaning it brings the ose of the shel rosh and transforms it to the level of speech which is found in Torah. It is interesting to note that the language ose is found by the shel yad and zikarone is found by the shel rosh, where the ose that is added on the outside of the tefillin is found on the shel rosh not the shel yad. This idea of tefillin bringing the connection of the tefillin to a level of speech is very much connected to the chag of Pesach and of course to b’chor.

It is well known that the Arizal says that the word Pesach can also be broken up as the words Peh Sach (פה סח). This idea is found throughout the chag of Pesach, the idea of speech. This concept is also found by the seder with the mitzvos of sippur and hagadah. As I already explained this is found in the tefillin as well. Lastly, this is found in regards to b’chor. The b’chor is born kudosh but there is an obligation to either redeem it or bring it to the mizbeach (Depending on which type of b’chor.) It is clear to me that by b’chor adam is redeemed by five slayim, which is connected to the Five Books of the Torah. The redemption of the b’chor adam is in order that he may be able to do mundane actions, otherwise he would be kudosh. The b’chor behaymah is born kudosh but you still must declare its kedushah prior to it being brought to the mitzbeach, that is the idea of speech found by b’chor. The idea of the five slayim by the b’chor adom is the idea of tefillin being a constant connection. We take the kedushah which could have been given to work only for kedushah in exchange for the attempt to bring ourselves to kedushah. The idea of Kiddish HaChodesh was explained to be the power of the Olam L’Mata which is the strength of Oral Torah. This is why the b’chor adom is redeemed with five slayim because he is being brought into a world where we decide upon the kedushah. The outcome of our actions is revealed in the kedushah that we reveal to ourselves and the world.

There is much more of this topic to discuss but it really past the scope of this parshah. I want to conclude by saying over what I heard from my Rebbi that the gematria of אדם בהמה is the same as זמן. That is the idea that tikkun of behaymuh is through time, meaning that through time we may be able to fix the nature of Man and rid him of his animal-like natures. That is through the toil of Torah and a strong observance of Mitzvos. Through placing the tefillin in between your eyes, where you can direct your life. With the learning of Torah every moment you have as that is your life. Through the realization that the whole yitzias mitzrayim was in order for us to keep the Torah today. The idea of time is to change. That means the Torah is only acquired through change. Change of yourself and of your actions. Through the binding of your actions to the yolk of the Torah. We will all be merited to bring in Mashiach tomorrow. The chance is before us, we need to grab it and change from chol to kedushah!

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Parshas Bo Karbonos, Kedusha, Limud HaTorah, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Yashrus, Zman

We have already begun to explore the calendar at large. We recognize that time is not simply here, rather it is a very special gift that we utilize every moment. The units of time are not simply units of measurements but separate vessels to fill. Just like you have different vessels for different needs so too you have different times for different needs. You wouldn’t begin your meal with a dessert spoon rather you would use a soup spoon. For each time of the year we have different forces to help us through the year. Without even one of them we would be unable to continue. Why is that so? You don’t hurt yourself if you eat your soup with your dessert spoon. In this parable we do at least see that you will take a very long time, and by the time you will finish your soup it will probably  be fairly chilled. We must use the right tools for the task. The Almighty with his great kindness provides us with the exact recipe for success on a daily basis. Not only do we know how to succeed from day to day, but even from year to year. We learn how to fix the mistakes of the past and embrace the open paths of the future. Let’s go across that bridge and take a step in the right direction, its easy. You’ll see.

What a precious jewel we have here among us. You could be staring at a diamond right in front of you. So close that its under your nose. So close that you fail to notice it because you are looking so far forward that you missed it! Don’t worry, we’ll give you a second chance. This time we’ll get it. The great Bnei Yissosschar discusses the different months of the year and the attributes they personify. The months of the year numbers are twelve. These twelve periods are special and unique. They aren’t just a bunch of day one after the other. They are a different existence. Each and every month the will of Hashem is emitted in a different angle. Expressing a different aspect of the Almighty’s will. This will is shown through His holy names. These names contain the deepest pillars of the world. The existence of the world is built on different aspects of these holy names. Simply the names of Hashem can be ordered in twelve different combinations. These twelve different combinations express a different attribute. Along with the different combination are many other factors that are on a scale of twelve that change through the year. The study of these combinations are among the sacred teachings of our Torah. That which have been passed down from generation to generation of whom only a small number of people are zocheh to grasp these teachings. Without exploring this we can learn so much from the times of the year and their order. There is always so much more beneath the surface, but first we must start with the surface.

In our year there are two beginnings. One is the beginning of the Shalosh Ragulim where we go to the Holy Temple three times a year. This year begins from the month of Nissan. The other year which is the beginning of the year in reference to the the creation of the world. This first path of the year is associated with the Midas HaChessed, which is opposed to the other path of the year which is associated with the Midas HaDin. That means that the same month can be viewed from two perspectives. First how it correlates to chessed, and secondly how it correlates to din. There are really twenty-four different combinations to the Holy Names of the Almighty, two for each month. One associated with the Midas HaChessed the other with the Midas HaDin. That means that every month has a distinct duality that provides us with an environment for growth. That duality is something that we can take in to our lives. The realization that everything that we encounter has both a midah of din and chessed. That is a tremendous chizuk for us in our lives. We can look at every event with its response to our actions as well as being a pure expression of unconditional good-will.

The time that we have in this world is a great gift to us. It is the thing that enables us to become much better than we already are. I was once thinking about an aspect of what it means to exist beyond the realm of time. The Almighty is of course beyond the boundaries of time and we cannot fathom that existence. I realized at that point that I cannot understand what is such an existence rather what is not such an existence. That means I cannot understand a level that I myself and not close to, therefore I must realize to what extent am I constrained by time to realize that Hashem is not. From that point I asked myself a question that has always bothered me. What is the purpose of time, and furthermore for whatever its purpose may be why is Hashem not bound to it. It is obvious from the word in Hebrew שנה which means year which is the same root as שונה to change. Similarly the word שינה (to sleep) is the same root as the aforementioned. What is the reason for this? I believe that the nature of time is the ability to change. A year is the base unit of a complete change. Consequently the word שינה or sleep, is the absolute lack of change.^[1] The Almighty is perfect in all ways possible. That leaves time completely useless and unecessary to him. It is of course more than that, it is even a downside as if to say that the true perfection of the Almighty ever needed change chas v’shalom.

Let’s take a peak at the year ahead and the ups and downs it has in store for us. The year is a cycle not because it repeats as much as we repeat. We have our tendencies that find there way back again and again. The year is conducive to both break free from these tendencies as well as utilize them to the greatest extent. Let’s look at the month of Cheshvan. Cheshvan or MarCheshvan meaning the bitter month of Cheshvan is empty with no Yomim Tovim in the near future. We left the days of Awe after the Yomim Norayim then were pleased to that great joy of the chag of Sukkos. Now we are left no direction…where do we go? That is the moment that we must realize that we were given everything we need to shteig for the next month and so on until the upcoming chag of Chanukah. That void of Cheshvan is a time for great growth on the tail end of the high of Sukkos with a fresh start. As great as it sounds, it can be very lonely and empty. The long winter is ahead of us, with no break in between – what are we going to do!? That is the negative feeling of Cheshvan that you must avoid. Look at every moment and treat them as precious gems as they won’t last if you don’t tend to them.

Now this duality is present within every single day our lives. This seeming absence of direction is often the obstacle to jump up and grab it. With time we will go through every tekufah and its paths of wonder and slendor and its more scary bewildering caves. Let’s start the year of right and take every day as an oppurtunity for kedushah and a new oppurtunity to make something of yourself.

1. We find this in other places that the root or gematriah of something will actually be the total opposite. For instance עונג which means to have pleasure and נגע which means affliction. [↩]

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Hashkafah, Moadim / Tekufos Teshuvah, Zman

The World was created in Six days. This span of time that began from the first moment of existence up until today is broken up into smaller units. We have years, months, weeks, days and so on. Are they just a unit of measurement, or are they an actual existence? Meaning to say is the day a unit of measurement to compare and contrast, or perhaps it is more than that. A day is a span of time that has its own specifications. As we learn from the Torah, a day begins through the sunset. Everyday starts through the sunset and begins the next day. This cycle of the motions of the sun create a natural phenomenon that we see daily. Everyday is broken down to smaller components that reflect the amount of sunlight for each day. The Jewish day always has twelve hours of sunlight and twelve hours of darkness. The Halachik Hour will change depending on the time of the year and the location. These details are small wonders of the mechanics of the awesome World we live in.

In addition to the physical changes of the year our lives are deeply impacted by the time in countless ways. One of the ways that the Nations have tried to destroy our people was through the prevention of the Mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh. This mitzvah allows us to function and carry out many mitzvos that are dependant upon time. Without the sanctification of the new month there would cease to be any of the Yomim Tovim that are so dear to us. Even mitzvos like shmitah would be impossible without knowing the year. It is evident that the Jewish people are strongly affected by time its boundaries.

The actual calendar that we use is much too complex for the scope of this piece. I do however want to note that the fact that we now have an established calendar does not diminish the importance of time in our lives. It is due to the power of the Beis Din that they had already sanctified the forthcoming months for us. Without this we would cease to function as we know and have known.

We questioned earlier if the time measurements are not just units to distinguish themselves. They are completely separate spectrum’s of time that coincide with each other. That means that a sixty seconds are a minute and sixty of them are an hour and twenty-four of them is a day. We say in our tefillos by the brachos Krias Shema “המחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית”. Know that is not an exaggeration, rather it is exactly what happens. Every single day the world is recreated. How can this be? I remember yesterday, I remember the day before that. How can it be that the world is recreated? I heard from the Rosh HaYeshiva zt”l Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg who said that Hashem with his infinite wisdom makes the world again and again with a memory of its past instantiations.

Why make the world need to be recreated again and again? Why can it not put into motion and sustained? The answer is that every single second of the world is with precision and meticulous judgement. Every moment is a gift and given the same attention that it was in the beginning. If the world is created constantly, then why don’t we appreciate it like that? When we get a new book or article of some sort we find ourselves enthusiastic and excited when we are simply not used to it. Clearly we can only have that great intense excitement when we sense this new acquisition. When we are created we cannot sense that. So we come back to the same question again, why would Hashem create us again and again constantly if we can’t tell? The better question is even when we know it why aren’t we excited about it like we just got it for the first time? I imagine that we have enormous difficulty in being excited in something that we cannot understand. That is a fallicy, a very scary and powerful misunderstanding. Your beliefs go well beyond the capabilities of your understanding. If you cannot see something or hear something, does that mean it is not there? Why is your knowledge limited to your senses, can nothing exist beyond that? I think that even knowledge can exist past the five senses. Belief has no limits and can even make things that are not clearly visible unavoidably apparent. That means when you believe in something so strongly you see it in everything.

Everyday has its start, its middle and its end. It has its hardships, and its easy points. A day is a miniature lifetime, as it contains all events of a life. We wake up like a new beginning. Where our neshamos enter our lifeless bodies once again. We go through the morning which is like our childhood. We start of walking slowly gathering our senses. We are rising to our state of awareness where we may do something substantial. We daven and find all our tefillos preparing us for our day. We make all of our brachos for learning Torah and all of the brachos for all that we have. This is all looking at our earlier stage of Life. We then get to the afternoon where we stop our busy day to daven. This is our adolescence where we find ourselves busy constantly trying to figure out where we are heading. Then comes the evening where things are dark and slower. We become tired again feeling weak both mentally and physically. We lay down and end the microcosm called a day. Note that technically the Jewish day begins at nightfall though the concept still holds its validity in my opinion.

Now that we have gone through a day, we enter a Shabbos. Shabbos is the highest point of our week. We come back to reflect upon the week as a whole. There is a completeness that we have gone through. The composition of our week is determined by the days that we have and which week it is in the month. As the earlier two weeks of a month are different than the last two weeks. The concept of Shabbos is a bris and an ose between the Almighty and his people Yisroel. Every Shabbos enables us to relive the first Shabbos of Brias HaOlam.

The months of the year are twelve in number^[1]. The months all have their own specific purpose and associations. The year has its apparent ups and downs (though they are really all ups). The months of the year provide new beginnings to different planes of worship. The Rosh Chodesh is a time for slichah, mechilah and kaparah with is found at many times before we begin something new.

Every day and month and year we follow the motions of the past. Mimicing the paths that have been taught to us. Learn from them, and then embrace the future. Don’t get caught up on the past anymore than it is worth. As the future can only help heal the past if you allow for a future. The times we need to work on are the inbetween steps where things aren’t so clear. The times when we aren’t counting sefirah or listening to shofar. It is the long days that seem to last forever. One flowing into the next. Remember, that not only is everyday a fresh start but even every moment! Don’t let the past ruin your future, as the present is already gone. Ensure your present by utilizing your past for your continued future. Let the lessons of our great Chachamim be a chizuk to us. Take every moment seriously, but enjoy every second as well. You cannot be scared every moment or laughing it all away. As with everything in Life it must be in the middle. Use your time wisely as it is your most precious possesion. It is your greatest gift and at times biggest enemy. Let the hands ticking on your watch fade away as you find yourself floating above time. Totally enveloped in the carrying out of mitzvos you find you have all the time in the world, and love every moment of it. One who knows the importance of time, finds that he is very good at managing it. Use your time to its max, but don’t break your watch with fear of the constant ticking. Every moment has its purpose and you can use it. Let us all be zocheh to grasp every moment of time. Use it for Torah and Mitzvos. With that zchus we should see the next day come soon, the day where the true glory of Hashem is clear to all!

1. In a leap year there are thirteen months [↩]

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Moadim / Tekufos Brias HaOlam, Zman