1. Anyone who follows politics in any way is bound to be misled. All the political discourse revolves around THIS world. We have to constantly remind ourselves that this world is but a waiting station. It is an airplane flying us to Shomayim. We have to make sure to take advantage of our time on the "plane" and not waste it on - in the words of our Master The Rambam - הבלי הזמן. The vanities of time.
2. Also misleading: There is a picture of me on line from 4 years ago. Not ONE white hair. Now my beard if FILLED with them. So don't think I am young. Time might be vain but is passing me by quickly and every gray or white hair is a זימון - invitation, to the בית דין של מעלה.
| כִּ֚י אֶ֪לֶף שָׁנִ֡ים בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ כְּי֣וֹם אֶ֖תְמוֹל כִּ֥י יַֽעֲבֹ֑ר וְאַשְׁמ֘וּרָ֥ה בַלָּֽיְלָה: זְרַמְתָּם שֵׁנָ֣ה יִֽהְי֑וּ בַּ֜בֹּ֗קֶר כֶּֽחָ֘צִ֥יר יַֽחֲלֹֽף: בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִ֣יץ וְחָלָ֑ף לָ֜עֶ֗רֶב יְמ֘וֹלֵ֥ל וְיָבֵֽשׁ: כִּֽי־כָלִ֥ינוּ בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ וּבַֽחֲמָֽתְךָ֥ נִבְהָֽלְנוּ: שַׁתָּ֣ה (כתיב שַׁתָּ֣) עֲוֹֽנֹתֵ֣ינוּ לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֜לֻמֵ֗נוּ לִמְא֥וֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ: כִּ֣י כָל־יָ֖מֵינוּ פָּנ֣וּ בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּלִּ֖ינוּ שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ כְמוֹ־הֶֽגֶה: יְמֵ֚י שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ | בָּהֶ֨ם שִׁבְעִ֪ים שָׁנָ֡ה וְאִ֚ם בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת | שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֚ים שָׁנָ֗ה וְ֖רָהְבָּם עָמָ֣ל וָאָ֑וֶן כִּ֘י גָ֥ז חִ֜֗ישׁ וַנָּעֻֽפָה: מִֽי־י֖וֹדֵעַ עֹ֥ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֜כְיִרְאָֽתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ: לִמְנ֣וֹת יָ֖מֵינוּ כֵּ֥ן הוֹדַ֑ע וְ֜נָבִ֗א לְבַ֣ב חָכְמָֽה: שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֖הֹוָה עַד־מָתָ֑י וְ֜הִנָּחֵ֗ם עַל־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ: |
For a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday, which passed, and a watch in the night.
You carry them away as a flood; they are like a sleep; in the morning, like grass it passes away.
In the morning, it blossoms and passes away; in the evening, it is cut off and withers.
For we perish from Your wrath, and from Your anger we are dismayed.
You have placed our iniquities before You, [the sins of] our youth before the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have passed away in Your anger; we have consumed our years as a murmur.
The days of our years because of them are seventy years, and if with increase, eighty years; but their pride is toil and pain, for it passes quickly and we fly away.
Who knows the might of Your wrath, and according to Your fear is Your anger.
So teach the number of our days, so that we shall acquire a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord, how long? And repent about Your servants.
