Winter Nights

The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe used to say in the name of the first Rebbe: “A summer day and a winter night is an entire year.”

Shabbat starts this evening — er, I mean, afternoon! — at 4:17pm in Queens. The nights are long, and they are waiting for us to utilize them to the fullest. It’s a platitude yet it’s true: time flies. As the Jerusalem Talmud states, “A day arrives and a day departs; a week arrives… a month… a year…”

Despite the fact that “Back To The Future” nearly predicted the Cubs victory in the World Series, we have still not invented time travel. A missed opportunity cannot be retrieved; every moment is a gift from G-d Almighty.

Moreover, my soul came into my body for a purpose, and each moment of my life is meant to be utilitized for that very purpose. After all, if I truly appreciate the gift of time, won’t I do my utmost to discover my purpose and bring some light to these long, dark nights?

L’Chaim & Good Shabbos,
Shaul