Time keeps on tickin'

Judaism is a clock. Look at your watch, you may think of where you were yesterday at 3. Open your calendar (or your iPhone, Palm or Blackberry), you can recall what you were doing last Monday, or back in November, or over summer vacation. You can also see what you’ll be doing tomorrow and next week, or where you’re supposed to be at different times ahead. Judaism too provides a structure to time – to how we mark, celebrate and evaluate clock – the moments, days, and years of our life. Jewish practice (BEING JEWISH) is based on a daily, weekly, seasonal and holiday cycle that gives shape and significance to how we spend our time on earth. The biblical psalmist implores: “teach us to number our days that we might get a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12).

Often, we think we need to find a single way for our clocks to tick – that is we assume there’s a singular passion or reason to drive us along the path of life. Perhaps we mislead ourselves by looking for that particular passion. Rather than beating ourselves up to find one passion in life – we should bear in mind that real worth is found in the everyday. It’s not the big things we think about that matter, it’s the little things we don’t think about that make a difference. Consider these “regular” praiseworthy acts:

• The dedicated teacher who spends those extra few minutes with a student in need – either for additional help in a subject or to build confidence as a person;
• The overworked parent who unfailingly carpools her children, and others, from event, to event, to event – without complaint or thanks;
• The busy employee who takes time from his crazy schedule to call mom or dad, just to say “hi, I love you”;
• The tired professional who nevertheless always makes time for the kids to play catch, or monopoly, ride a bike, or roll in the leaves rather than answer that one final email;
• The anonymous temple member who sets up an oneg Shabbat – not for recognition, to make the experience beautiful for our guests;
• The caring individuals, who go out of their way to reach out to a person in need – bringing comfort or good cheer to hospital, home or mailbox, whether they know him or not.

These and a million more are examples of what goes on around us every day. It’s how most of us fill our days. And they are heroic, righteous and uplifting.

Jewish customs will always change and evolve: our rituals and prayers, Jewish foods, music and garments, geography and locale. These are just accessories, not Jewish life itself. Judaism is a clock – a timepiece that makes our lives count. And the clock of our life will march ever forward. In this New Year, we will surely struggle to keep up. Let us therefore conduct ourselves with gratitude for the sacred mundane – that each day, every day, fills our hearts with wisdom. Then we will know that life’s precious moments – even, especially, its ordinary ones – are divine.

So what cool, simple and wonderful things are you doing to number your days, earning a heart of wisdom?