Parshas Shoftim
As Alfred, Lord Tennyson once wrote in a letter to a friend, “I do apologize for writing you a five-page letter … I simply didn’t have enough time to write you a one-page letterâ€.
What the good Lord Tennyson was telling his friend is so true. To write something with content and depth in a small space is quite difficult and takes a lot of time. It is far less time-consuming to write something meaningful over five pages.
I do know that in the past I have struggled with this, often writing quite lengthy pieces that went on for way too many pages. But in more recent years they have gotten shorter and shorter (although I am not sure that anyone noticed).
And since this Thursday August 20th begins the Hebrew month of Elul, traditionally the month of reflection, introspection and Teshuvah (repentance), I, too, am doing my own little Teshuvah and writing you a very short piece this weekend, hopefully filled with meaningful content and a powerful lesson… to get us into the Elul “moodâ€: :
The Mishnah teaches (Avos 2:10) that Rabbi Eliezer says: “Repent one day before you dieâ€.
Our Sages, of blessed memory, teach (Shabbos 153a) that upon hearing this, Rabbi Eliezer’s students said to him: “Our teacher! But does a person know on which day he will die? Of course, not! How, then, can a person fulfill your advice of repenting one day before his death? Rabbi Eliezer replied: “To the contrary! This makes my advice all the more relevant. Since a person does not know the time of his death, he should repent today because he might die tomorrow! And he should repent tomorrow because he might die the next day, and so forth. And if a person follows this advice, it will emerge that all his days are spent in repentance.
Can you imagine the last day of your life? …THE LAST DAY!!!!
Why don’t you try this? Lie down in bed and close your eyes. Now imagine that the doctor told you that you only have one more day to live. ONE MORE DAY!!!
What would you be doing on that day? Would you be busy with “mundane†things such as mowing the lawn or painting the shed or eating cheesecake? Of course, not! After all, this is YOUR LAST DAY!!!
Would you get angry at your son for not taking out the garbage? Would you be envious of your neighbor’s home or Maserati? Would you be worried about your receding hairline? Of course not! After all, this is YOUR LAST DAY!!!
So what would you be doing or thinking about on your last day of life?
Probably about all the important things that you didn’t do in your life that you should have done – like patching up your relationship with your older brother whom you haven’t spoken to in 40 years – or like teaching your kids about their Jewish heritage which they know nothing about, etc.
You would also likely be thinking about all the important things that you did in your life that you should not have done – such as spending more time at work than with your family – or like all the lashon hara (slander) that you and your golf buddies spoke about the Rabbi, etc.
On the last day of your life you gain a certain clarity and perspective on life that you would never get otherwise. And that really helps make your Teshuvah much easier and much more effective.
And if you can follow Rabbi Eliezer’s “ploy†and do this powerful introspection every day of your life (say, on your bed, before you go to sleep, take one minute to think about what you would do or not do if you only had one more day to live) – then you will definitely be way ahead of the game!
http://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=628