Rosh HaShana

As we are rapidly approaching Rosh HaShana it occurs to me that many times during the next week and a half we will think about life - we will wish each other good and sweet years; to enjoy life; to experience only simchas; and finally to live to the next Rosh HaShana. Every year on Rosh HaShana I get reminded of the cliché "Every day is a gift that's why it's called the present".

It may be over used and rather simple - but I think there is elegance in the simplicity. We never know what is in store for us, we don't know if we will live to see another Rosh Hashana, another Yom Kippur, or another Sukkot. One of the things that I don't do nearly enough, not nearly enough* is taking advantage of each day.

At my previous job, the owner would forcefully remind us that we should use two hands to be twice as productive. One of the other employees remarked, "There's a method to his madness, I always remind myself that God gave me two hands, and if I'm not using both of them for a task that could use them then I'm not using God's gift to it's fullest potential". In this time of tshuva we need to remember that each day is a gift and that we need to grab each day by both hands and use it to the best of our abilities.




*- Who, besides Avi, got the The West Wing reference?