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Counting the DaysPart I.Counting for WisdomWHEN IS SHAVUOS?In this week\u2019sparshawe are introduced to themitzvahofsefiras ha\u2019omer, the counting of forty-nine days between the bringingof theOmerofferingand theyomtovofShavuos:\u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7\u05b3\u05e8\u05b8\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b7\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea \u2013 \u201cYou shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the first day of Pesach, \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05e2\u05b9\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013 from the day that you bring the Omer offering, \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3 \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05c7\u05d7\u05b3\u05e8\u05b7\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b7\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05ea \u2013 until the day after the seventh week when you will celebrateShavuos\u201d(Vayikra 23:15). In the Torah theyomtovofShavuosis not designated by a certain day of the month; instead it depends entirely on the counting of days. \u201cToday is day one,\u201d \u201cToday is day two,\u201d \u201cToday three, and so forth until we say \u201cToday is day forty-nine,\u201d and then we know thatShavuosis tomorrow.That\u2019s how it\u2019s been for all of our history; the whole Jewish nation stands up and countssefira. From the time Yehoshua entered the land until thechurban bayis rishon,the destruction of theBeis Hamikdash, we were counting. And even when we were exiled from our land and couldn\u2019t bring theOmeranymore, they continued to count the days fromPesachuntilShavuos\u2013 we\u2019re still counting today. For forty-nine days we become the nation that counts.But there\u2019s a question here. Because if the purpose of this counting was merely to know when to celebrateShavuos\u2013 as it appears from thepossuk\u2013 so the Torah could have merely said, \u201cAnd seven weeks after the first day of Pesach you should celebrateShavuos.\u201d What\u2019s the necessity of a special counting, a special ceremony of counting the days? And even more than that, why is it that weallhave to count? Let theBeis Dincount; letthemkeep count and let us know! That\u2019s how it is with counting theshmittayears after all. Themitzvahto count the years forshmittaandyovelfalls exclusively on theBeis Dinand we don\u2019t participate at all.THE NATIONAL COUNTING CEREMONYAnd yet, when it comes tosefiras ha\u2019omerthe Torah goes out of its way to obligate every single one of us to participate in the counting. Thegemara(Menachos 65b) says regarding themitzvahof counting theOmer: \u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u2013 \u201cAnd you should countlachem, foryourselves; andchazaltell us that the plurallachemis used to teach, \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b5\u05d0 \u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05dc \u05d0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b8\u05d3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b8\u05d3 \u2013 that the counting must be done byeveryindividual.\u201dSo what\u2019s this national business of counting? A whole nation of millions should stop everything to count days?! What for? Of course, you\u2019ll hear many reasons you\u2019ll hear \u2013 we\u2019ve spoken about them here too \u2013 ideas that correspond to theOmerandMatan Torahand to the days in between. But we\u2019ll focus now on a more general idea, an important attitude that pertains not only to these forty nine days beforeShavuos,but to the counting of all the days of our lives!613 PANORAMAS OF OPPORTUNITYThe brother of the Vina Gaon in his seferMa\u2019alos Hatorah(Hakdamah) teaches us a very important rule \u2013 he says it in the name of the Gra, but it\u2019s found in theRishonimas well \u2013 and it\u2019s an idea that opens up for us a panorama of opportunity. He declares that although the six hundred and thirteenmitzvosof the Torah are commandmentson their own, yet they are also intended to be much more than that. He says that they are actually six hundred and thirteenklalim, general principles, that serve as models that should guide us in our everyday lives. And therefore, although we do not add to themitzvos, yet we can always surmise in which direction Hashem wishes that our minds should go by studying these general principles.Now, if themitzvahof counting days is intended as a model for us, we should spend some time trying \u2013 at least a little bit \u2013 to understand what we\u2019re being taught here. In which direction is Hakodosh Boruch Hu guiding us by commanding us to count these days?DOVID HAMELECH LEARNS TO COUNTInTehillim(90:12) there\u2019s apossuk\u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u2013 \u201cMake known to us how to count our days properly.\u201d We say it every Shabbos morning, and we should take it to heart because it is of the utmost consequence to each one of us. Dovid Hamelech is saying here a supplication, atefillato Hakadosh Baruch Hu: \u201cPlease Hashem,\u201d he said, \u201cPlease teach us how to count our days.\u201dNow, just to count days, Dovid Hamelech wouldn\u2019t need to call out to Hashem. You need Hashem to teach you to count days?! A littleyingelat home, even before he goes out to thecheder, can count days. You count, that\u2019s all! So we look back at ourpossukand we see that it wasn\u2019t that Dovid wanted to know how tocount. \u201cTeach us how to count our days \u2018kein\u2019, how to count our daysproperly,\u201d he said.The wordkeinmeans \u2018properly\u2019 like we find\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05e6\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05e4\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05d3 \u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u2013 \u201cThe daughters ofTzelofchadare speaking correctly, properly\u201d (Bamidbar 27:7). So \u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 means, \u201cMake us know how to count our dayscorrectly.\u201d It\u2019s not enough to count; for themitzvahofsefiras ha\u2019omerit might be sufficient, but for counting the days of our lives, Dovid understood that we need more than that. What Dovid wanted from Hashem was help in counting his days \u2018kein\u2019, correctly.Now what it means to count successfully, that\u2019s a big subject, but the first thing we make note of is that there\u2019s more to counting than merely ticking off the days; there\u2019s something we\u2019re aiming for here. And that\u2019s what thepossukcontinues: \u201cTeach us to count our days properly, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b7\u05d1 \u05d7\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013 \u201cand help us bring a mind of wisdom.\u201d That means, teach ushow to produce a mind of wisdom.WHAT IS WISDOM?Now, if I would just stop here, we still wouldn\u2019t know how to count. Because wisdom could mean many things. Maybe it\u2019s technical knowledge? So, of course, immediately we would say no. Certainly it\u2019s not a prayer that we should succeed in putting into our heads every day more facts of science, or the wisdom of ways and means of performing crafts or vocational skills. So the best among us would say that it\u2019s referring to thechochmas hatorah; what else ischochma? We pray to Hakodosh Boruch Hu that we should utilize our days in filling our minds with knowledge of Torah. I\u2019m sure everyone here would say, \u201cCertainly! What else?!\u201dAnd there\u2019s no question that thechochmas hatorahis very important; when you add oneyedias hatorah, one detail of Torah, to your store of knowledge, then you were successful today, you became rich. No question!Chochmacan meanMesichtaBrachosand it can meanShabbosandEiruvinandPesachim. It can meanSukkahandRosh HashanaandYumaandBeitzahandMegillaandTa\u2019anisandMoed KatanandChagigatoo. It could mean all ofShas! There\u2019s no questionlimud hatorahis achochma.Butl\u2019havdilwe must say the same if you gained some more facts about the sciences; if you studied books of biology or chemistry, whatever it may be; that\u2019s also achochma. Of course, by no means on the same scale as Torah, but if you learn it in the right way, you recognize that you\u2019re studying thedarkei Hashem,the ways of Hashem in nature and in history, \u05dc\u05b8\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05db\u05b6\u05bc\u05d9\u05da\u05b8, there\u2019s no question that it\u2019s also a certain achievement ofchochma. But here, when Dovid was counting his days to \u201cto produce a mind ofchochma,\u201d a different type ofchochmaaltogether is intended. The wisdom Dovid is speaking about here is one that is set far above all the other forms of wisdom in the world \u2013 and it\u2019s that wisdom that will be our subject for this talk.THE LONG BEARDEDYAREI SHAMAYIMInIyov(28:28) it states:\u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c1\u05dd \u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013 \u201cBehold,yiras Hashem, fear of Hashem,hee, that is called wisdom.\u201d Now, when I sayyiras Hashem, right away people think they know what I\u2019m talking about. But they don\u2019t; it\u2019s not what you think it is. And therefore the wordyirahitself must be defined \u2013 otherwise you might imagine all types of wrong ideas. You see what the world thinks it is \u2013 people think that it means putting on externalities. Here\u2019s a man who decides to choose the way ofyiras Hashem, so the first thing is he lets his beard grow long. And then, a black hat. Very nice! And then in some cases he puts on a long black coat. Beautiful! And in very many cases, that\u2019s it! He thinks he\u2019s graduated; he thinks he has it.And that\u2019s why it\u2019s important to emphasize thatyiras Hashemis much more than externalities. It\u2019s achochma; a knowledge that must be learned; a science that must be studied and practiced. And it\u2019s not easy. It doesn\u2019t mean merely learning the technicalities of Torah. It\u2019s wonderful to learnBava Kama! It\u2019s great to learnMesichta Shabbos! It\u2019s great to know all the details ofhalacha; it\u2019s a very important wisdom. But it\u2019s notthewisdom.GREEK FOR DUMMIESI\u2019ll explain that. Thechachomim(Shabbos 31b) said on thispossukof\u201cHein yiras Hashem hee chochma,\u201d that the wordheinin Greek means one. In pig Greek, in pig Latin,ainorunwas a way of saying one. And so we can read thepossukas follows: \u201cFear of Hashem is wisdom and \u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b7\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05bc \u05d7\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013that alone is called wisdom!\u201d(Mesillas Yesharim, Hakdamah). There\u2019s only one truechochmabecause all the other forms of wisdom pale into insignificance in comparison to thechochmaofyiras Hashem.The question remains though, how to achieve thatchochma? How do we achieve the wisdom ofyiras Hashemthat is more important than allchochmos? So the first step is to know what it is we\u2019re striving for. You\u2019ll recall that I expressly took the trouble to emphasize thatyiras Hashem, the fear of Hashem, is not what people think it is and therefore before we go on, let\u2019s define this term; what is meant byyiras Hashem?Yaro, to be afraid, is actually derived fromra\u2019ohto see. Because when a person doesn\u2019t see, so he\u2019s not afraid. \u201cIgnorance is bliss,\u201d says the world. A man is afraid only when he sees that something is actually coming, or at least he sees in his imagination that something is coming. Soyirah,fear, is a form ofr\u2019iyah,seeing.LOVE, FEAR OR AWARENESS?And now we come to the point of tonight\u2019s talk. When we sayyirah, when we talk about counting our days foryiras Hashem, what we really mean is that we are trying to make every day a day of \u201cseeing Hashem.\u201d Now, while you\u2019re still in this world you\u2019ll never be able to actually see Hashem, but what it means isbecoming aware of Hashem.Yiras Hashemis really \u2018being aware of Hashem\u2019 and once you understand that then you\u2019ve grasped the fundamentalyesodof being afrumJew.Now of course,yirahmeans fear too. You have to fear Hashem! Today when a rabbi speaks about fear of Hashem, people think he doesn\u2019t know English, and what he really means is \u201cLove Hashem\u201d.Nothing doing! When we say \u201cfear,\u201d we mean fear in its most literal sense. Only that true fear is founded on Awareness. And so, if we\u2019ll translate it in one word,yiras Hashemis Awareness. Being aware all the time of Hashem! To feel, to actually be convinced, of the immanence of the Presence of Hakodosh Boruch Hu.And that is thereishis chochma, the highest of all forms of wisdom. To gain more and moreemunah chushis, more and more sensory feeling \u2013 not onlyemunahsichlis, intelligent understanding \u2013 but it should enter into our senses and our nerves until we are as aware of Hakodosh Boruch Hu as we are of anyone else. At least as much as you\u2019re aware of your neighbor or your Uncle Morris in the Bronx, you should be aware of Hashem.QUESTION YOURSELF EVERY DAYAnd so, even if someone isfrum, even if he\u2019s very pious, and he\u2019s careful with every detail of Judaism, but if he never labored to acquire any real awareness of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, then he does not haveyiras Hashem. He\u2019sfrum; certainly he\u2019s devout, and we don\u2019t begrudge that at all, but he doesn\u2019t have anyyiras Hashem. Because specifically,yiras Hashemmeans seeing Hashem, living with an actual feeling that you\u2019re standing in front of Him at all times. And the more you think about Him and the more real He becomes to you, the more you become ayarei shamayim \u2013which is the purpose of our days in this world.That\u2019s why we counted today! And that\u2019s why we\u2019ll count tomorrow, and the day after that. And that\u2019s why we\u2019ll continue counting our days even long afterShavuosends too. Becausesefiras ha\u2019omeris theklal, it\u2019s the rehearsal for the important function of counting the rest of the days of our lives \u2013 of making sure that every day of our lives is being used to achieve more and moreyirasshamayim. Every day that ticks off the calendar is important and must be counted; we\u2019re expected to ask ourselves, \u201cDid I bring moreyirahinto my heart today?\u201dPart II.The Purpose of TimeTHE CLOCK HANGING 93,000,000 MILES AWAYNow, in order that we should comprehend the enormity of this function of counting days, the Torah doesn\u2019t wait untilParshas Emorto let us know its importance. Way back in the beginning, when Hashem created this world, He taught us about this.Do you know what the sun and the moon are for? Why did Hashem create the sun and the moon? So we look back into thechumashand we see that there were a few purposes. And one of them is the one we\u2019re speaking about now, the function of counting our days.\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05e8\u05b9\u05ea \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u2013 \u201cAnd Hashem said: Let there be luminaries in the firmament, \u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u2013 for days\u201d (Bereishis 1:14). Now, to separate between day and night, that\u2019s already mentioned earlier in thepossuk, \u05dc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dc \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05d4\u05b7\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05d9\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013 \u201cTo separate between day and night,\u201d and therefore we must say that the wordl\u2019yomim, \u201cfor days,\u201dis telling us something new altogether \u2013 that the purpose of the sun is for creating separate days; in order that we should experience the passing of time.Now, if you think about it, this is an astounding idea. The Torah is revealing to us a very surprising fact, something we would never have dreamed of by ourselves. Actually, it\u2019s such a startling statement that even after hearing it, we\u2019ll have to be very pious people to accept it. We, little human beings, on this tiny earth \u2013 compared to the sun it\u2019s tiny after all \u2013 do we deserve to have a tremendous clock hanging for us way out in space? You know how big the sun is?! You know how far off it is?! And the purpose of that tremendous orb in the sky, that beautiful ball of fire, is merely to serve as a timepiece for us?! Absolutely! Hakodosh Boruch Hu declares it openly: it\u2019s to let you know when a day has passed by.L\u2019yomim. There you have it, black on white.THE LONGEST WASTED DAYIn case you would get caught up in life, in case you wouldn\u2019t notice life passing you by, so the sun rises and sets, rises and sets, and it thereby lets us know that the days are passing. Another day is coming, and then another day, and now another one has passed us by. If not for the sun then life would be this one long stretch of time. We\u2019d be born in the world and we would continue always, one long day or one long night, whatever it is. And time would go by, and before we know it, the time is up.You know, if it weren\u2019t for the sun, so people, when they went out on a spree, it would almost always have a sad ending. Let\u2019s say a man got into a fight with the boss, or a fight with the wife, and he ran out into the street from his home or from his job; he said, \u201cForget aboutit all! It\u2019s a wasted day anyhow.\u201d That would be the end of him altogether because that wasted day would never come to an end. Like one man from theyeshivatold me, he admitted to me that he was discouraged, and he went to the movies. A kollel man! He was so disgusted; \u201cThe day is ruined anyhow,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s fall down to the bottom.\u201d The moviesisthe bottom by the way. And if not for the sun he would have sat in the movies the whole week.LIFE IS LIKE A WATERMELONAnd so Hakodosh Boruch Hu breaks up life for us into little pieces so that we should appreciate and make use of them. It\u2019s like the woman who has a lot of children, and the father brought home a watermelon. It wasn\u2019t a big watermelon, and for thirteen children it wasn\u2019t much. And she knew that if she would just put the whole thing on the table it would be finished up and forgotten about. So she cut it up into little slices and gave each one a little piece. \u201cTomorrow,\u201d she said, \u201cis another day. Tomorrow is another opportunity, but I\u2019m reminding you to make sure to enjoy this little piece because that\u2019s all you\u2019ll have today.\u201dHakadosh Baruch Hu gave us life; life is the biggest watermelon there is. The trouble would be if life would be dished out in one long monotonous string. Hakodosh Boruch Hu could have given us a big watermelon of eighty, ninety or a hundred years, and it would feel like nothing. So what does He do? He dishes it out in portions. He cuts it up first of all into years. Every year you feel, \u201cOh, another year I\u2019m getting?Boruch Hashem,\u201d you\u2019re so happy; another year of life, an additional opportunity for achieving success!! You\u2019re more able to appreciate the opportunities of life when they\u2019re broken down into the smaller pieces we call years.MORE GREEK FOR DUMMIESBut even that\u2019s too much, it\u2019s too big of a portion, so He chops it up into months. Life is chopped up into small portions, so that we should be encouraged to make the best use of it. And that\u2019s why we say \u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05d9 \u05d7\u05b3\u05d3\u05b8\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u2013nasatameans that it\u2019s a gift. Rosh Chodesh is a gift! What\u2019s the gift of Rosh Chodesh? We sayzman kapara l\u2019chol toldosam, it\u2019s a day of atonement, a mini Yom Kippur. Do you know why it\u2019s a day of atonement? Because all of a sudden we get a jolt \u2013 we become aware that a month has passed by!Oy vey, a month! What did I accomplish this past month? In very many cases, nothing at all! A tragedy! And that\u2019s why it\u2019s azman kaparah; you realize what an opportunity time is and you decide to make amends, to begin making use of counting time. And even that\u2019s too big, so He chops it up into days. There\u2019s an old Latin saying,carpe diem, snatch the day. Grab the day! Grab the day before it goes lost.It\u2019s a great gift that time is broken up for us into sections by movement of the sun and the moon, and therefore the greatchesedof the luminaries should be utilized. Don\u2019t throw away the gift that Hashem gives you every day. What a benefit, what a blessing it is to be reminded every twenty four hours. So tomorrow morning when you wake up and you see the sunlight pouring through your window, so keep in mind that\u2019s one of the reasons why you\u2019re going to say \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c1\u05dd \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b5\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u2013 \u201cI thank You Hashem for the sun that reminds me of the passage of time.\u201d The sun is rising and moving through the sky to keep you on your toes: \u201cDon\u2019t forget to make today count,\u201d says the sun.MEGILLAH ALL YEAR ROUNDAnd once you understand that Hashem put that great ball of fire into the skyl\u2019yomim, so you should be motivated to count your days, so now you\u2019ll make sure to make use of it. Every day becomes a new opportunity, a brand new day for achievement. Like theChovos Halevavossays (Sha\u2019ar Cheshbon Hanefesh \u2013 Cheshbon11): \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05dc\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u2013 \u201cThe days of your life are notebooks.\u201d Every morning you get a new clean notebook to write in.You remember those days in theyeshiva, when you started with a new notebook, full of ambition. And you were thinking, \u201cThis notebook I\u2019m going to keep neat and clean.\u201d Every morning is a brand new notebook, says the Chovos Halevavos, \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05ea\u05b0\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b7\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b0\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05d6\u05b8\u05bc\u05db\u05b5\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u2013 \u201cWrite in those notebooks what you want to be remembered of you.\u201d What are going to do with that notebook already? You\u2019re going to scribble a little bit on the margins?! Is that how you want to be remembered in the Next World, by some doodling?! The thing that you will want most to be remembered by isv\u2019navi l\u2019vav chochma; by how muchyiras Hashem, awareness of Hashem, you produced each day.THANK THE SURGEON!Hakodosh Boruch Hu is \u05de\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05d3\u05b5\u05bc\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05b8\u05dc \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3 \u05de\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05b5\u05c2\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05ea \u2013 in His kindliness He renews every day the work of creation. Every day is a new chance given to you by Hashem. So last night you went to bed and you were disgusted. Maybe you were falling off your feet and you felt like a failure; nothing went right yesterday. So you went to bed and Hakadosh Baruch Hu got busy on you. He brought a whole team of physicians who were working on you all night; they were ironing out your wrinkled emotions and they were straightening out your muscles; and they did a good job. In the morning you woke up and you\u2019re a new man now.You get up in the morning, you open your eyes and you\u2019re well rested \u2013 not that you get up with a yawn and a headache: \u201cAnother day to face, another day to go through the grind.\u201d That\u2019s what happens when you stay up late; you wake up knocked out and disgusted! That man is ameshugener\u2013 he doesn\u2019t deserve to get up in the morning because he doesn\u2019t know how important it is to count the days.When Hakodosh Baruch Hu delivers you safe and sound in the morning so you open your eyes and you have to say, \u201cThank you.\u201d What do you say to the surgeon? You can\u2019t just say, \u201cNice job doc; thank you.\u201d That\u2019s not enough. You have to write a big fat check; you get sick again when you see the bill! But Hakadosh Boruch Hu doesn\u2019t give you a bill in the morning. He only wants that you should open your eyes and say: \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05de\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d7\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u2013 \u201cI give thanks to You, O\u2019 Living and Enduring King, \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d4\u05b6\u05d7\u05b1\u05d6\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b8\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05b6\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u2013 that You returned to me my life in pity, \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u2013 how great is Your steadfastness. What did I do to deserve another chance, another day to count, another opportunity to make use of?!Rabah emunasecha,how great is Your steadfastness.\u201dMAKING MORNINGS GREAT AGAINAnd therefore, the morning is the best time, because you have new energies in the morning and the day starts all over again. The sun rises again in the morning and the birds are singing and everything is cool in the morning. It\u2019s a new opportunity and life starts all over again. When you view the counting of time through the eyes of the Torah that\u2019s when you can begin to understand the glorious achievement that every day of life is. \u201cAnd now that You have given me another chance to achieveyiras Hashem, I\u2019m going to make it a day that counts.\u201dAnd so in the notebook of tomorrow morning \u2013 even before you get out of bed, you should begin writing down your achievements inyiras Hashem. You saymodeh aniand you\u2019re already accomplishing inyiras Hashem. Now, if you just mumble it by rote, maybe not so much, but if you practice up that you\u2019re actually saying thank you to Someone, so that\u2019s already a big achievement inyirasHashem. Don\u2019t think it\u2019s nothing; with a little thought, with some awareness of Whom you\u2019re speaking to,modeh anican make you great \u2013 it\u2019s the first page in your notebook of today.A SIXTY SECOND EXERCISEIt\u2019s a glorious experience \u2013 to wake up into this worldand to make use of it.Even to utilize a day for just one minute is an achievement. One minute of life is an opportunity for greatness! Imagine we were here for just one more minute; sixty seconds from now we\u2019d have to say goodbye to this wonderful world of opportunity. If we had only sixty seconds left to count, you know what you could still accomplish?!We\u2019ll try it together, an exercise \u2013 let\u2019s utilize these sixty seconds and think together: \u201cThere\u2019s aBoreiwho created the universe out of nothing and that means that there\u2019s nothing that has any intrinsic existence except for Hashem. And He created me as well.Hashem Echad!He\u2019s the only thing that matters to me. And He gave me this great kindness that for the following fifty seconds I can think about Him and achieve the prime purpose of my being here, the purpose of recognizing theBorei. So for the next forty seconds, I am going to become more and more aware of You and fulfill my purpose here. I\u2019m looking outside at the setting sun and I know what You\u2019re saying to me Hashem; time is passing by. So I express now my gratitude to You Hakadosh Baruch Hu for everything You\u2019ve given me. I love You Hashem, and I speak to You, my King, my Creator and I express my gratitude to You for the beautiful world You made for me. Thank You for my eyes and my kidneys and my feet and I especially thank You for making me part of Your chosen people.\u201d And now we have ten seconds left. And you say, \u201cI thank You, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who has given me this great opportunity to count the seconds in this world and achieve my purpose in this world of thinking about You.\u201d And then time is up; you go out of this world having achieved your purpose. \u05d9\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e2\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea \u2013 \u201cA person can become great in only one minute,\u201d only that you have to know how to make that minute count.Now the fact that we\u2019re still here, that we\u2019re still breathingboruch Hashem,doesn\u2019t mean that you can relax now and waste the minutes. No, our one minute exercise was just that \u2013 an exercise for the rest of our lives. Likesefiras ha\u2019omer,it was a rehearsal for the many more opportunities we\u2019ll still have! So now you can go out into the world for many more minutes and live successfully.Part III.Making Time CountWILL YOU THROW AWAY DIAMONDS?Now, you have to realize that there\u2019s adin v\u2019cheshbon;the gift of more time from Hashem is a tremendous opportunity, but it\u2019s also a tremendous responsibility: \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05e2\u05b4\u05ea\u05b9\u05bc\u05ea\u05b8\u05d9 \u2013 \u201cIn Your hand, Hashem, are all my times\u201d (Tehillim 31:16). That means, all my hours are in Your hands; all my minutes are in Your hand. It\u2019s not mine, it\u2019s Yours. And if I take out of Your hand another minute, another diamond, and I take it and throw out of the window, so Hakodosh Boruch Hu says \u201cOh, that\u2019schutzpah! I\u2019m handing you every minute, such a precious gift! It\u2019sb\u2019yadai, it\u2019s in My hands, and you\u2019re taking it from Me and wasting it?\u201dHere\u2019s a man, he decides to make a trip someplace. For what purpose? For enjoyment, for pleasure. A trip for pleasure? You\u2019re going to waste part of your life on nothing?! You\u2019re arotzei\u2019ach, no question about it; you\u2019re killing yourself when you waste time. I\u2019m not saying that you can never go anywhere, but to just go withoutcheshbon, without remembering how precious time is, it\u2019s acheit, a sin, because it means that you don\u2019t recognize your purpose in this world.TWO QUEER STORIESNow this, I\u2019m careful about telling it to you, but I\u2019ll tell it anyhow. The Chofetz Chaim\u2019s son wrote about his father, he said that his father was not such a bigmachnis oreich; he didn\u2019t spend too much time with guests. You hear that? The Chofetz Chaim wasn\u2019t a bigmachnis oreich! When a guest came, he made the bed for him; he brought in the big straw mattress and showed him where to lie down, but he didn\u2019t spend time with him. He gave theoreicheverything he needed \u2013 if he needed to talk, he gave him his time as well \u2013 but he didn\u2019t spend extra time because he was counting his days.The following is also a very queer story, but I have to tell it to you anyhow. The Gra had a sister whom he hadn\u2019t seen for thirteen years. Thirteen years! And now his sister came to Vilna to see him, \u201cOh, my brother!\u201d she called out, \u201cIt\u2019s been so many years.\u201d So the Vilna Gaon spoke a few words with her and then he went back to hissefer. So she was somewhat discouraged. He saw a tear in her eye. He said, \u201cIn the next world, we\u2019ll sit and talk\u201d. That\u2019s what he told her: \u201cIn the next world, we\u2019ll have time to sit and talk.\u201d Now, don\u2019t tell this to other people; it\u2019s only for you to hear. You have to understand that it was the Gra who lived for a purpose.But even if you\u2019re not the Gra, and you\u2019re not the Chofetz Chaim either, still your time has to be precious in your eyes. Let\u2019s say you and your wife go visit somebody else. So you sit down in the dining room, you and your wife, and he and his wife, and you talk and talk and talk. You\u2019re a murderer. You\u2019re killing yourself for nothing. You have to make excuses, \u201cI can\u2019t go tonight; I have to get some work done at home. And when somebody comes to waste your time, anudnik; let\u2019s say, your next door neighbor wants to talk a little bit, he\u2019s visiting you, so be friendly to him and then say, \u201cI have to go to the bathroom\u201d \u2013 something you have tell him so you can escape from him. Find someteretz! Save your life! Because he\u2019s a holdup man; he\u2019s a robber! It\u2019s worse than stealing your money! Now, we don\u2019t look at it that way because we are accustomed to following the footsteps of the unthinking multitudes who don\u2019t care if they waste their time, but that\u2019s the truth.YOUR TIME AT WORK IS AN OPPORTUNITYNow some people will say, \u201cWhat are you talking to me about wasting time?! What do you want from me? It\u2019s a pity, but I must remain in the office all day. I\u2019d like to take off and go someplace to study Torah; I\u2019d like to go to thebeis medrash, but I\u2019m wasting my day in the office anyhow.\u201d That\u2019s a big error! Working in your office or in the shop, that\u2019s your job right now, that\u2019s where you belong, and even there you can make your days count. You know, being in the office, you can serve Hakadosh Baruch Hu in many ways. In many ways!I\u2019ll give one little example. In today\u2019s offices, there are a lot of things that you\u2019re not supposed to see. And if you\u2019ll make it a principle as much as possible to look only at kosher things and guard your eyes, so you have to know \u05d0\u05b7\u05e3 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b7\u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d3\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05db\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d4\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05d5\u05bc \u2013 \u201cAlso those who did not do any wrong are walking in His ways\u201d (Tehillim 119:3). By restraining yourself from doing wrong, you\u2019re also walking in the ways of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. You\u2019re reminded of Hakadosh Baruch Hu; that\u2019syiras shamayim. When your eyes encounter something that you\u2019re not supposed to look at, well, it\u2019s natural that your eyes have to move, but immediately you remove your eyes and remember that you\u2019re a Jew. You\u2019reoveid Hashemand you\u2019re becoming a biggeryarei shamayimin the office.There are better ways than that too. You can think of Hakadosh Boruch Hu while you\u2019re doing work. \u05d0\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05dc\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u2013 \u201cHappy is the man that won\u2019t forget You.\u201d You can always be thinking about Hakadosh Boruch Hu. You don\u2019t have to forget Him while you\u2019re doing work; even complicated work. You can think that you\u2019re punching the keys of a typewriter because you\u2019re serving Hakadosh Boruch Hu; you want to support a kosher Jewish home where there are going to be kosher Jewish children who will be brought upb\u2019derech haTorah; it costs money to maintain a Jewish home. It costs a bunch of money to pay tuition and that\u2019s what you\u2019re working for.THE GLORIOUS CAREER WOMENAnd the ladies and the girls have a glorious opportunity as well. While they\u2019re stirring the pot in the kitchen, while they\u2019re sweeping the floor or sewing, whatever they\u2019re doing, they\u2019re thinking of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. A glorious career! And I\u2019m serious about that; it\u2019s a glorious career! Instead of taking these minutes, these diamonds, and throwing them away, they\u2019re cashing them in. They\u2019re the most precious achievement.You counted a few seconds while washing the dishes?! You thought about Hashem while standing in the shop?! You\u2019re a great person already! Try it; try thinking for one minute that you\u2019re standing in front of Hashem. Even one minute of thinking during the day is so precious that you can already count that day as a success! Even if you don\u2019t think all the time, even though you waste a lot of time, if you\u2019ll spend one minute of thinking, it\u2019s a tremendous achievement. You\u2019re one out of ten thousand, you\u2019re a head taller than everyone just because of that one minute.COUNTINGSEFIRAAT SUNSETNow, although there\u2019s no end to the wisdom ofyiras Hashemyou can bring into your mind, but \u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05e4\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05e4\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u2013 to undertake too much at once, so you won\u2019t do anything. So we always go back to our lesson fromsefiras ha\u2019omer; once a day \u2013 at least once a day to remember Hashem. At least when the sun is about to go down, remind yourself: \u201cDid I count today? What did I accomplish today? Is there anything to count?\u201d Is it just another day passing away, maybe wasted away, that won\u2019t ever come back?It\u2019s the end of one opportunity and we don\u2019t have too many of them in our lives. And so when the sun goes down, that\u2019s the time for a person to start thinking. Every day, from now on for the rest of your life, don\u2019t be in a hectic pursuit of the business of life to such an extent that you cannot stop every day for a moment. You\u2019re sitting in your office; it\u2019s wintertime and it\u2019s close to 4:30 and the sun has dipped beneath the horizon of the skyscrapers. Stop for a moment and think that the day is almost over and count that day.Ha\u2019yom yom echadto counting the days of my life.Hayom yom sheiniof fulfillingv\u2019navi l\u2019vav chochma.Hayom yom shlishifor achieving Awareness of Hashem.Now, in case the day hasn\u2019t been utilized, make use of the remaining moments before the sun goes down and the day is gone forever. In all eternity, it will never return again. Not once more in history will you be able to relive this day. There\u2019ll be other days, yes. Hopefully you\u2019ll wake up tomorrow morning and you\u2019ll have another day, butthisday is lost forever. And therefore, before it\u2019s gone irretrievably, stop for a moment, andcarpe diem,grab what you can.THE HOUSEWIFE AND THE BAKERHow do you grab? I\u2019ll tell you. You know, a woman can bake muffins, she can cook chicken, and she can become heroic in the kitchen. Imagine a housewife standing in her kitchen as she is kneading the dough, she is thinking, \u201cMy hands are the hands of Hakadosh Baruch Hu; like it says, \u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05df \u05dc\u05b6\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05dc \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05e8 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd \u05d7\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u2013 \u201cHakodosh Boruch Hu in His endless kindness gives food to all the living\u201d (Tehillim 136:25). How does He give bread? Does He stretch his hands from the sky and hand us something? Thepshatis that it\u2019s through the woman who\u2019s making thechallah.So if you\u2019re bakingchallahor if you\u2019re selling bread over the counter, it\u2019s a glorious opportunity for thereishis chochma, the most valuable of all wisdom. All the bakers should be here tonight because otherwise their lives are being wasted. Think what a baker could accomplish every time he hands a loaf across the counter, and he\u2019s thinking: \u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05df \u05dc\u05b6\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05dc \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05e8 \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m giving bread to all the living and I\u2019m doing it as ashaliachof Hakadosh Baruch Hu.\u201d The fact that he\u2019s being paid for it, that doesn\u2019t detract from the greatness of this accomplishment.And so, at the end of the day, the mother is standing in the kitchen, or maybe the baker or the grocer is standing behind the counter, and they look through the window and see the sun is going down; they should remember why Hashem made that great ball of fire. \u201cDon\u2019t miss even one day!\u201d You remind yourself that once on Shabbos, you had prayed \u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u2013 \u201cTeach me to count my days properly,\u201d and so, in the last moment, as you put the muffins into the oven or as you hand the last loaf of bread across the counter to the boy who went on an errand for his mother, you do it with the thought that \u201cMy hands are the hands of Hakadosh Baruch Hu Who gives bread to all the living.\u201dHASHEM SENDS PEOPLE TO DENTAL SCHOOLAnd suppose a dentist, a weary dentist who\u2019s been standing on his feet all day in the office. There was a long line today in the dentist\u2019s office and he\u2019s been grinding one tooth after the other. And as he picks up the drill he looks through his window; he wants to see how many more hours does he have to work today. And when he sees the sun going down he catches himself for that last moment of the day. \u201cWhat am I living for? Just to put more checks into my drawer? Is that it? Is that what the days of my life are worth? Just some more checks?\u201d And he thinks,\u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2\u2013 \u201cHashem, help me to count my days.\u201dSo what does he think now as he drills into another tooth. \u201cPay attention to your work\u201d \u2013 that\u2019s the first thing he has to think. But if he can add the thought, \u201cYou, Hakodosh Boruch Hu, are \u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e4\u05b5\u05d0 \u05d7\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc. You\u2019re the one who heals Your people; and I\u2019m just Yoursh\u2019liach, Your messenger, doing Your work in this world. And therefore for the rest of the time that\u2019s allotted to me today, I\u2019m going to think this thought; I\u2019m working for You Hashem, curing people of the ails of the teeth.\u201d How does Hakadosh Boruch Hu heal after all? That\u2019s one of His ways; by sending people to dental school. And so as the sun sets behind the building, the dentist says to himself, \u201cI\u2019m going to make people happy by giving them healthy teeth and I\u2019m doing it because I\u2019m Yourshaliach.\u201dYOU\u2019RE LOADED WITH WEALTHThe greatest wealth that a person has is a wealth of years and months and days and hours. That\u2019s the real wealth! A young man is loaded down with capital. Hakodosh Boruch Hu sends him out into this world with a great wealth \u2013 he has many years ahead of him to benavi l\u2019vav chochma. A young man of two, a young man of twenty, a young man of forty, a young man of sixty, a young man of eighty \u2013 he has wealth. As much as he has, it\u2019s a wealth.The wealth of life is only for a few moments. Relatively, life is only a fleeting pause in eternity. And therefore is it any wonder that we pray to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, we beseech Him, we beg Him:limnos yameinu kein hoda\u2013 teach us how to count our days so that we shouldn\u2019t spend our days being bemused! You know how many people spend theiryomimwith their minds preoccupied with nothing at all. Here\u2019s a man who\u2019s walking around thinking about ways and means of fighting with his boss; he\u2019s spending his days thinking of ways and means how to get even with him.There are people going around, and they\u2019re tense and they\u2019re worried, thinking that they\u2019re being persecuted by their neighbors and their mothers-in-law. They spend time bemused about the injustice that is being done to them. And their lives are being wasted away by silly and foolish imaginations. Not lunatics! I\u2019m talking about sane people. And what about the people who waste their lives pursuing after imaginary wealth, instead of the true wealth ofyiras Hashem; people who waste their lives pursuing imaginary pleasures?!THE TALL GENTLEMAN\u2019S VISITAnd then before they know it, themalach hamavess,a tall dark gentleman comes into the hospital room. And he\u2019s lying in bed, this old fellow, and themalachhamavess taps him on the shoulder. So the old fellow says, \u201cCan\u2019t you just give me a few more days?NowI understand how precious days are. I want to count a few more days,please. And I\u2019ll count them this time for the purpose ofnavi l\u2019vav chochma.\u201d So themalach hamavessturns to him, \u201cSorry, that\u2019s what they all say, \u2018Now I understand.\u2019 I\u2019ve heard that millions of times already. Come on, time to go now.\u201d And your opportunity to belimnoshas come to an end.And because our counting will one day come to an end we were given the commandment in the Torah of \u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b6\u05dd, \u201cAnd you have to count for yourselves,\u201d so that we should be reminded of this very important function. Themitzvahofsefiras ha\u2019omeris a rehearsal for the counting of the days of our lives; it\u2019s a model for the wise nation to countall of their days. And that\u2019s why the whole Jewish nation was sure to be counting because we are expected to keep a record of our days. Every individual is expected to be able to count his days and to be able to answer the question, \u201cWhat did I accomplish today?\u201d Every day is a precious bauble. Whether it\u2019s raining or snowing, hot or cold, whatever is doing in the world, it doesn\u2019t matter \u2013 today is a once in a lifetime opportunity.And the fact that you came here tonight is already a step in the right direction; it\u2019s asiyata dishmayato help you learn how to count the days. And therefore as much as possible we try to remind ourselves of the very great principle,\u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u2013 \u201cPlease, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, let us know how to count our days properly.\u201d It\u2019s a big study; it\u2019s not simple at all. What you heard tonight is kindergarten talk. Of course, it\u2019s useful kindergarten talk. And if you\u2019ve never heard it before, then this is the kindergarten where you have to come! Becausereishis chochma,the most important of all wisdom you can achieve,yirasHashem, is Awareness of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. And it\u2019s only if we count our dayskein, successfully, that we\u2019ll benavi l\u2019vav chochma, and acquire the wisdom for which we came into this world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.