Just
exactly how precious is time? It’s kind of ironic, we don’t normally think
about how precious time is until it appears that we are running out of it. If
you don’t agree, just check out the interview given after Monday night’s NCAA
Men’s Basketball Championship game. The University of North Carolina senior was
asked how he felt after he made a ridiculous double clutch three point shot
that tied the game at 74 and was the culmination of a furious North Carolina
comeback. Time was so precious, the Villanova coach called time out in order to
stop time. The Carolina senior went back to his bench and told his teammates that
“we have 4.7 seconds to play defense, and then we go to overtime.” The Carolina
player reasonably concluded that with momentum on their side, he believe that
if rewarded with extra time (overtime) North Carolina would win. However these
were the last 4.7 seconds. Unlike any other 4.7 seconds of the 2400 total
seconds of regulation time (40 minutes) these last 4.7 were precious. The ball
was inbounded and the Villanova player, with a relatively clear look at the
basket, let go of the ball with 2 tenths of a second left. The ball soared the
air. The clock read 0.0 and, in essence, time stopped. However the ball still
soared magnificently through the air; its trajectory straight and true. It
turned out that 4.7 precious seconds was plenty of time to win and lose a
national championship.
This
week’s Torah portion is Parsha Tazria. Parsha Tazria concentrates upon how
impurity, spiritual impurity is passed between people. Most of the Parsha
focuses upon Leprosy as it was considered to be a very physically contagious
disease. Parsha Tazria puts the diagnosis, the treatment and the convalescence
in spiritual terms rather than physical terms. We learn that the while this Tumah, this spiritual impurity is present, the stricken individual cannot
reside within the camp. After all God dwells in the camp and we cannot tolerate
any impurity near God. Only the passage of time will cure the impurity. The
beginning of the Parsha discusses the impurities involved with childbirth. While
childbirth involves the loss of blood thus rendering the new mother “impure”; there
is no greater sense of mortality that the blessing of a newborn baby. I became
a father on four different occasions and each time I held each of our newborn
babies, I became more aware of my mortality, and by definition the limits of
time.
Besides the weekly Torah Portion, this Shabbat
is known as Shabbat HaChodesh, corresponding to the fact that this Shabbat
marks the beginning of Nisan, the month that Torah counts as the first month of
the year. Shabbat HaChodesh is commemorated by our reading the first twenty
verses of the 12th chapter of Exodus (from Parsha Bo) as well as a
special Haftarah. God commands both Moshe and Aharon to speak to B’nai Yisroel
and offer several important instructions. Firstly, HaChodesh HaZeh, this month,
the month of Nisan will be first month of the Year. Secondly, on the tenth
month each household will select its lamb or kid for the Korban Pesach, four
days later, the lamb/kid will be slaughtered and eaten in its entirety while
the final plague will be visited upon Egypt. Thirdly, that moment will be commemorated
in the future as the festival of Pesach. Leavened products will be nullified
and not consumed, the first day and the seventh day will be holy (like a
Shabbat). Fourthly Matzah will be eaten on those sacred days. As these
instructions are being presented the Torah reminds us VaYomer Hashem el Moshe v’El Aharon b’Eretz Mitzrayim Leimor – Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land
of Egypt, saying…. (Ex. 12:1) What is the significance of the Torah telling
us that God spoke to Moshe and Aharon in Egypt? At this point, where else would
they be? Neither they nor Bnai Yisroel has left Egypt and slavery. HaChodesh
Hazeh, Lachem Rosh Chodesh Rishon Hu Lachem L’Chodshei HaShana – This month shall be for you the beginning of
the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year (Ex
12:2). Why does Lachem – to you
appear twice in that verse? Bnai Yisroel are still slaves. Granted the end of
their slavery is drawing to a rapid conclusion, but they are still slaves. Time
belongs to the Egyptians not to slaves. However as the time of freedom approaches,
time will belong to those who are Chadash
those who are new and free. With that
freedom and comes the responsibility of time. So the first things Bnai Yisroel
learns is the time is precious, it is something that needs to be filled with
action and deed. Time needs to be sanctified and time needs to be commemorated
in order to create a sense of sacred time and mundane ordinary time.
Time
serves as an expression of mortality as well as an expression of freedom. As we
prepare for Pesach; we understand that there never seem to be enough time in to
complete all that is required. As we celebrate our freedom we understand that
there is a very real danger to being irresponsible with our time as well as
becoming enslaved by time and by our schedules.
It seems that like God, we have the capacity to make time sacred or
mundane. However, we do so by filling time with sacred activities and not
wasting it. We know that time wasted is
indeed time lost, even if it's 4.7 seconds.
Peace
Rav Yitz
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