What Two Hebrew Words Reveal About Israeli Democracy
We all rely on calendars. Our schedules correspond to them. We use them to record important dates, to mark appointments, and to remember meaningful occasions. Our weekly, monthly, and yearly calendars fill up.
How many of us, however, are equally aware of our “spiritual calendars”? Our Sages relate that every physical phenomenon has a corresponding spiritual parallel. Just as we account for physical time, so too, we should become accountable for the spiritual content infusing the moments of our lives. The quality of our spiritual lives can be measured within its own unique context.
The Zohar describes how each day in a person’s life has its own challenge and mission. Benjamin Franklin’s oft-quoted saying “Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today” applies to spiritual and personal growth as well as to physical tasks.
Maximizing one’s potential starts with the valuing of one’s time. Increasing our focus and becoming more mindful of our time is the starting point. Are we using our moments purposefully, or do we use time as an escape? Are we “killing time” and “wasting time,” or are we creating lasting imprints in time?
Meaningful, transcendent moments in time create a spiritual imprint upon the fabric of eternity. Just as we are aware that, physically, we leave a carbon imprint, so too, our spiritual imprints affect our lives and those of future generations. The Torah reveals to us that our deeds have merit. Our thoughts and actions can generate positive and/or negative energies. The way that one thinks, as expressed through words and deeds, has the potential to influence generations. We can be influencers, yet also be influenced by the actions of others. We are both generators and receptacles. It’s all a matter of context and degree.
By becoming more aware of how we use our time, we can strive to infuse each day with spiritual growth and meaning. How is this done? The way we respond to challenges and provocation is what strengthens or weakens our spiritual core. A positive, resilient response can be to the soul what a physical workout is to the body. We build spiritual muscle through resistance. Rising above our instincts and our circumstances raises our spiritual bar. Stretching beyond our “comfort zones” to transcend ourselves has a lasting effect. It creates an enduring spiritual imprint.
Time is life. How many of us have a spiritual daily schedule? Do we record our spiritual growth? Are we moving forward spiritually? Are our spiritual lives and calendars empty and static or dynamic and filled? A spiritual calendar can help us record and visualize how actively we are engaged in actualizing our inner potentials. It acts like a journal, in which milestones, victories, and personal growth are recorded and dated. A spiritual calendar can be a record of your thoughts. It has its own rhythm and criteria for inner growth. It helps you become more aware of and sensitized to the intangibles in life. To what extent do our actions reflect our core values? Are we living what we know? How accurately does our choice of words express our inner convictions? Does our outer behavior match up to, and express, our inner beliefs? What do we believe and value? To what degree are we actualizing those beliefs in our daily lives? Do our schedules and calendars reflect them?
There is always a disparity between who we are presently and whom we have the potential to become. This is not about career achievements, but character achievements. The disparity is measured in terms of character refinement and spiritual growth. This is a lifetime pursuit that develops and unfolds incrementally. Success is reflected in the quality of our relationships and in the meaning attached to the details of our daily lives. In this week’s Torah portion the Torah uses the term “ba’im ba’yamim,” coming with days, (Genesis, 18:11), when referring to the lives of Abraham and Sarah.
People of spiritual greatness “come through life with all their days accompanying them.” Their days are utilized properly and purposefully. This is the significance of the expression ba’im ba’yamim, literally, “they are coming with days.”
The Jewish People, both as individuals and as a nation, are still affected by Avraham’s and Sarah’s deeds, which reverberate until this day. Their spiritual DNA has been passed on to us. Avraham and Sarah were prototypes for every Jewish man and woman. They have imbued each of us with the latent potential to “come with our days.” With effort and mindfulness, we too can transform mundane moments into meaningful, transcendent—indeed, infinite—imprints in time.
This week’s Torah portion begins by recounting how, on the third day after Avraham’s bris milah, ritual circumcision, God appeared to him. Through his deeds and unwavering belief in God, Avraham had been elevated to a new spiritual vantage point. From this plateau, Avraham was keenly aware of God’s Presence in his life.
Just as Avraham increased his perception of God’s Presence in his daily life, so can we. In our spiritual reality, God is communicating with us constantly. How well are we able to pick up the signals and receive the transmission? As we begin to recognize God’s Presence in our daily lives, we gradually change our perceptions regarding life’s challenges. Realizing that the source of each challenge is Hashem, our wills to over- come, learn from, and transcend them are magnified. Awareness of their Divine origin strengthens our resolves to reflect deeper into why we’ve been tested. Accordingly, we develop greater clarity about what we’re meant to learn from each experience. Our eyes are then opened wide.
Just as you find time to nourish and care for your body, your inner essence—your soul—needs daily attention. It needs to be nourished through Torah learning.
Even one moment can become great, when used for good.
