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Time-Out\Rabbi Yehoshua Alt

Rabbi Yehoshua Alt

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R’ Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander Ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. R’ Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim where he studies, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.

Time-Out

The importance of valuing time is taught to us on Pesach when we left Mitzrayim as it was בחפזון (Devarim 16:3); in a haste- no time wasted.[1]

 

The Pasuk states ויהי מקץ שנתים ימים; it was at the end of two years… Another translation is that for many, at the end of their life, the שנתים; years they lived were only ימים; a few days that they actually did something worthy as many waste their time on futility (See Mayana Shel Torah, Miketz 41:1). As someone once put it: “The question is not how long he lived, but how did he live.” Esav is called איש ידע ציד איש שדה; one who knows hunting, a man of the field. Rashi comments אדם בטל- a man who is idle,[2] wasting[3] his time.[4] So what do we have to show for the days we lived? Let us ask this question to ourselves now so that we make our time fruitful.[5]

 

R’ Shalom Belzer (1781-1855)- the first Belzer Rebbe- recalled his younger years when he would smoke. Once when he was learning in the Beis Midrash he saw one of his peers clean out his pipe and fill it. While he did this, R’ Shalom learned a page of Gemara. After seeing this, he said that if this object can take me away form a page of Gemara, I can’t put it in my mouth anymore. From then on, he never took it again (Taamai Haminhagim, pg 102).

 

The saying goes, “More important than adding years to your life, add life to your years.” In the words of a different phrase: “It is not the years in your life that count, it is the life in your years that count.” Many spend a tremendous amount of time trying to impress others. This may be in the clothes they wear, the house they live in, the car they drive, the subjects they talk about and so on. The time people spend trying to impress others, they can spend doing things that others would be impressed by.

 

When the Gra wasn’t well, he was asked where he was holding (how he was feeling). His reply: in Mesachta Keilim. Even in a circumstance such as this, the Gra didn’t let his time be squandered.

 

Adding up each moment we utilize, it can accumulate into something big. This is alluded to in the letter א which has a numerical value of one, as if we spell it out, we get אלף; 1,000. That is to say, accumulating each moment we use, we can amass an abundant amount.[6]

 

Of the many times R’ (Zelig) Reuven Bengis[7] (1864-1953) finished Shas, he once made a Siyum on it a few weeks after he just made one. He explained that this one was different and very dear to him, as this completion of Shas wasn’t part of his regular cycle. Being a Rav, he explained, he had many Simchos to attend and the like. These, many times, didn’t start promptly. Not letting these random few minutes slip through the cracks, he learned with this time.[8] After 17 years of doing this, he completed Shas, now making a Siyum on it!

 

 

[1] We should also bear in mind that it is “better to lose minute from life than to lose life in a minute.” That is to say, it is better to do things safer even though it takes more time. Otherwise, the alternative may be too costly.

[2] Similarly, on איש ידע ציד, Targum Unkolos comments גבר נחשירכן- one who is idle (See Tosafos, Baba Kamma 92b, s.v. דשרכי). The Alter of Navardok once remarked that a person should be willing to give up all his tomorrows for one today, so that he doesn’t end up wasting all his todays on one tomorrow.

[3] A great man once remarked, “I have no time to waste but I have all the time to spend.”

[4] This is in contrast to Yaakov who is described by Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel as תבע אולפן; being a מבקש; seeking (On the words מבקש ה’; those who sought Hashem- Shemos 33:7- Targum Unkolos says דתבע אולפן.)- R’ Yeruchem Levovitz in Daas Torah, Toldos, 25:27, third s.v. ויהי עשו.

[5] There is an expression, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

[6] For some, the less time they have to work with, the more things get done as in the expression “If not for the last minute nothing would get done.”

[7] He was the Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim for the Eidah HaChareidis. He wrote a seven-volume commentary on the Talmud. When he was 17 years old, he went to learn in the Volozhin Yeshiva under the Netziv, who called him ‘the living Shas.’

[8] The Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah, 3:13) writes that one who wants to merit the crown of Torah should be careful with his nights not to waste even a moment rather he should be busy with learning Torah and words of wisdom.

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