The Concept of Time in Jewish Thought and Inner Torah

The Essence of Time: Created, Not Pre-Existing

The question of the essence of time has engaged thinkers since the dawn of philosophy and thought. The central starting point in Jewish thought is that time is a created instrument, not a pre-existing entity. This concept necessarily derives from the premise that the Blessed Creator, who preceded creation, transcends the realm of time; concepts of past, present, and future do not apply to Him. Consequently, the existence of time is brought into being anew—the result of a creative decision.

This foundation is expounded at length in the writings of the Rishonim (early commentators)—from Rabbi Saadia Gaon (Emunos ve-De'os, end of Introduction), to Maimonides (Guide for the Perplexed, Part II, Ch. 13) and Rabbeinu Bachya (Exodus 20:11), through to the works of Jewish philosophy and Hasidism. Even the Vilna Gaon (Aderes Eliyahu, Genesis 1:1) noted that the very opening word of the Torah—"In the beginning" (Bereshis)—alludes to the creation of time itself.

In the modern era, modern physics has aligned with this view. It has been proven that time is not an absolute and independent dimension, but a system subject to physical reality and its motion: changes in physical state directly affect the rate of time flow (as illustrated in the Theory of Relativity regarding high-speed motion). Almost tangibly, isolating matter from processes of change—such as absolute zero freezing—preserves the existing state and pauses the effect of time upon it.

Time as a Narrow Window to Complete Reality

To grasp the inner dimension of time and derive practical meaning from it for serving God, it is worth reflecting on a parable offered by Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt"l (Michtav me-Eliyahu, Vol. 2, p. 21):

Consider a person looking at a very large world map covered by an opaque sheet containing a single tiny hole. Through this hole, only one point can be seen at any given time. Moving the cover reveals a different territory at each moment—a particular city or country. However, if the cover were removed entirely, the whole map would be revealed in a single, unified view.

This is precisely the mechanism of time: time is a "window" that narrows our consciousness to a single moment out of the totality of reality. The past, present, and future actually exist simultaneously, but our human measuring tool experiences them piece by piece. On the day the conscious cover is removed, all of reality will be revealed as one unified whole, invalidating the division into past and future.

From this arises a resolution to apparent contradictions between different times. The changes and contradictions we experience across periods stem solely from viewing through that narrow "hole" of time. One who peeks through the narrow opening may wonder at the changing scenes, but removing the screen proves they are continuous, complementary parts of one complete map.

Completing the Jewel: Every Moment as a Building Block

This can be compared to a worker in a secret factory assigned a single small task without being shown the overall picture. The worker does not know what was done before or what will be done after, but their job is to focus on their specific task.

So too is our relationship with time: every day and every moment brings a specific spiritual task, trial, or mitzvah. Our role is to maximize what is required of us in the present moment; through the combined sum of all those moments, the complete creation will ultimately take shape.

The author of Chiddushei HaRim (Sefer HaZechut, Parashat Terumah) wrote that even when man was created, his days were allocated, with each day designated its own unique task. The days of a person's life are not accidental, and no day resembles another—every day has a unique purpose, and the number of days corresponds to the sum of tasks a person must complete.

Diversity of Materials and Richness of Spiritual Illumination

We can deepen the parable: time serves as a package of various raw materials meant for constructing an architectural structure. Every moment represents a different type of raw material, and only from assembling the whole will the life's work of the human persona emerge.

It is told that during the imprisonment of the author of the Tanya zt"l in a dark room, he knew the exact time at every moment. When asked about this, he replied that every hour a different spiritual illumination shines in creation (a different combination of the Name YHVH—twelve combinations corresponding to the twelve hours). Viewing the inner spiritual reality enabled him to identify the movement of time without physical means.

Kabalistic literature (such as Sha'ar HaKavanot) details the unique spiritual illuminations for each day and hour. No moment is identical to another, and every time has its own destiny.

Life is compared to an extensive book, and man writes it through his actions (Chovot HaLevavot, Sha'ar Cheshbon HaNefesh, Ch. 3). To illustrate: a year is a volume, a week is a chapter, a day is a section, and a minute is a word composed of letters. When writing a single letter, it is difficult to see the full sentence, but at the end of the process, the grand structure becomes clear. So too with a Torah scribe focusing on each letter individually—only upon finishing his labor is the Torah scroll revealed in its full glory.

Coping with Times of Hardship and Distress

In times of struggle and crisis, a person might feel despair and wish that the difficult day could be erased from the calendar of their life. But this is a conceptual mistake: those hard days are not "wasted time," but unique raw materials required for the complete structure. The spiritual work that springs precisely from distress and difficulty is what creates the missing layer in the soul.

This resembles a stonecutter encountering a hard, jagged angle in the stone. Skipping the challenging point would impair the perfection of the piece. Knowing that unique value lies precisely within the specific difficulty gives the strength to endure the process.

Higher Intellect and the Dimension of Time

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov zt"l taught (Likutey Moharan II, Lesson 61): "As intellect expands, time shrinks and is subdued." To insightful eyes, what appears to us as a lengthy seventy-year existence can shrink to the duration of fifteen minutes.

This phenomenon is evident even in simple human experience: in the eyes of a young child, time moves very slowly and every day feels infinite, whereas for an adult whose mind is broader, time passes quickly.

A developed intellect can encompass long processes in a single view. A child, having a limited mind, struggles to delay gratification because they do not see the future or the necessity of acting for it. As wisdom expands, the capacity to grasp a long sequence of time as a single, focused entity strengthens.

Viewing the Complete Picture

Frequently, a person wonders at the events of their life. The cause of this wonder is their localized position within the event, which prevents them from seeing the whole picture.

So it was during the bondage in Egypt: at the time of suffering, the individual slave did not know the purpose of his pain. Yet from a broad historical perspective, it becomes clear that the suffering served as a process of refining and purging (as noted in books of Kabbalah and commentaries) that prepared the Jewish people to receive the Torah and brought about a deep rectification.

A tangible example of this can be seen in historical documentation from the Knessia HaGedolah in Vienna (1923). There, the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Meir Biederman zt"l (son-in-law of the Sfas Emet) is seen. In those days, he was surrounded by distinguished sons and sons-in-law, Torah scholars, and leaders. On the other hand, in his house was a single divorced daughter who lived in isolation. Had he been asked then to summarize his deep satisfaction, he likely would have pointed to his prominent sons, not his daughter residing in sorrow.

Yet twenty years later, following the terrible destruction of Europe in the Holocaust, his entire vast family perished. From that entire distinguished family, not a remnant remained—except for that divorced daughter, who remarried in a second match to the Imrei Emes, and from whom was born his youngest son, the Pnei Menachem zt"l, who re-established a whole world of Torah and descendants. In a broad historical view, precisely that point which seemed a flaw and a pain became the remnant and resurrection of the entire house.

This event illustrates that a localized view cannot contain Divine Providence, and that present struggles hold within them a deep purpose for the good.

Attaining the future is also possible through spiritual elevation. As brought down regarding the Baal Shem Tov zi"a, who foresaw an event involving his brother-in-law Rabbi Gershon of Kitov, explaining that in higher worlds, spans of time covering many years are perceived as a single occurrence in the present. As a person elevates themselves and connects to the inner source of creation, their capacity to comprehend the future sequence of events expands.

The Vanities of Time vs. Eternal Acquisitions

In the works of the early sages, physical pleasures of this world are called "the vanities of time." This title stems from the fact that all material matters are earthly, fleeting, and perishable. They leave no eternal mark. By contrast, Torah, mitzvot, and good deeds are absolute acquisitions that endure forever.

The common mistake is to prefer the temporary and fleeting—such as news updates that lose their value within a short time—over engaging in the eternal. Materiality perishes; spirituality remains.

Constant Renewal through Inner Connection

A sense of burnout in divine service usually stems from performing actions in an external, mechanical manner. Dry repetition of actions without soul and emotion leads to weariness and boredom.

However, when an inner connection to the action exists, the act never becomes repulsive—just as a person does not grow tired of eating, because they derive fresh enjoyment from it every time. Inner vitality grants every moment and every mitzvah a fresh flavor, which is the depth of the saying: "Every day they shall be in your eyes as new."

From this reflection, it is incumbent upon us to penetrate the inner dimension of time, recognize the unique value of every single moment, and utilize it with constant renewal—until we merit being "advanced in days," completing our role on earth in full measure.

תפיסת הזמן במחשבת ישראל ובפנימיות התורה

מהות הזמן: נברא ולא קדמון

שאלת מהותו של הזמן מעסיקה את הוגי הדעות עוד משחר ימיה של הפילוסופיה והמחשבה. נקודת המוצא המרכזית במחשבת ישראל היא שהזמן הינו כלי שנברא, ולא ישות קדמונית. תפיסה זו מתחייבת מן ההנחה כי הבורא יתברך, שקדם לבריאה, נעלה מתחום הזמן; לגביו לא שייכים מושגי עבר, הווה ועתיד. ממילא, קיומו של הזמן אינו אלא מחודש, פרי החלטה בריאתית.

יסוד זה מבואר בהרחבה בכתבי ראשונים – החל מרב סעדיה גאון (אמונות ודעות, סוף ההקדמה), דרך הרמב"ם (מורה הנבוכים, חלק ב', פרק יג) ורבינו בחיי (שמות כ, יא), וכלה בספרי המחשבה והחסידות. אף הגר"א (אדרת אליהו, בראשית א, א) ציין כי כבר במילת הפתיחה של התורה – "בְּרֵאשִׁית" – רמוזה עצם בריאתו של הזמן.

בעת החדשה חברה גם הפיזיקה המודרנית לתפיסה זו. הוכח כי הזמן אינו ממד מוחלט ועצמאי, אלא מערכת הכפופה למציאות החומר ולתנועתו: שינויים במצב החומר משפיעים ישירות על קצב זרימת הזמן (כפי שהומחש בתורת היחסות לגבי תנועה במהירויות גבוהות). באופן כמעט מוחשי, ניתוק החומר מתהליכי שינוי – כגון הקפאה מוחלטת – משמר את המצב הקיים ומשהה את אפקט הזמן עליו.

הזמן כחלון מצומצם למציאות שלמה

כדי לעמוד על פנימיות הזמן ולגזור מכך משמעות לעבודת ה', ראוי להתבונן במשל שטרם הגאון רבי אליהו דסלר זצ"ל (מכתב מאליהו, חלק ב', עמ' כא):

לחשוֹב על אדם המביט במפת העולם העשויה גדולה, כשמעליה מונח כיסוי אטום ובו נקב זעיר אחד בלבד. דרך הנקב ניתן לראות נקודה אחת בלבד בכל עת; הזזת הכיסוי תחשוף בכל רגע חבל ארץ אחר – עיר זו או מדינה אחרת. אולם אם יוסר הכיסוי לחלוטין, תתגלה המפה כולה במבט אחיד ושלם.

זהו בדיוק מנגנון הזמן: הזמן הוא מעין "צוהר" המצמצם את תודעתנו לרגע בודד מתוך מכלול המציאות. העבר, ההווה והעתיד קיימים למעשה בעת ובעונה אחת, אלא שכלי המדידה האנושי שלנו נחשף אליהם קטעים-קטעים. ביום שבו יוסר הכיסוי התודעתי, תתגלה המציאות כולה כחטיבה אחת גלגלית, שבה מתבטלת החלוקה לעבר ולעתיד.

מכאן עולה גם יישוב לסתירות המדומות בין זמנים שונים. השינויים והסתירות שאנו חווים בין תקופות נובעים אך ורק מצפייה דרך אותו "חור" צר של הזמן. מי שמציץ דרך הנקב הצר עשוי לתמוה על השינויים במראות, אך הסרת המסך מוכיחה כי מדובר בחלקים רציפים ומשלימים של מפה אחת שלמה.

השלמת המרגלית: כל רגע כנדבך בבניין השלם

אפשר להמשיל זאת לעובד במפעל סודי, המופקד על פעולה קטנה ובודדת מבלי שתוצג בפניו התמונה הכללית. העובד אינו יודע מה נעשה לפניו ומה ייעשה אחריו, אך תפקידו להתרכז במשימתו הנקודתית.

כך גם יחסנו לזמן: בכל יום ובכל רגע מוטלת עלינו משימה רוחנית, התמודדות או מצווה מסוימת. תפקידנו למצות את המוטל עלינו ברגע הנוכחי; מתוך הצירוף הכולל של כל אותם רגעים, תתגבש בסופו של דבר היצירה השלמה.

בעל חידושי הרי"ם (ספר הזכות, פרשת תרומה) כתב כי כבר בעת יצירת האדם קצובים לו ימיו, ולכל יום מיועדת עבודה מיוחדת משלו. ימי חייו של האדם אינם מקריים, ואין יום דומה למשנהו – לכל יום מוגדרת תכלית ייחודית, ומספר הימים תואם למניין המשימות שעל האדם להשלים.

גיוון החומרים ועושר ההארות

ניתן להעמיק את המשל: הזמן משרתי כחבילת חומרי גלם שונים המיועדים לבניית מבנה ארכיטקטוני. כל רגע מייצג חומר גלם מסוג אחר, ורק מהרכבת המכלול תצמח יצירת חייה של הדמות האנושית.

מסופר כי בעת מאסרו של בעל התניא זצ"ל בחדר חשוך, ידע בכל עת את השעה המדויקת. כשנשאל על כך, השיב כי בכל שעה מאירה בבריאה הארה רוחנית שונה (צירוף אחר של שם הוי"ה – י"ב צירופים כנגד י"ב שעות). ראיית הפנימיות הרוחנית אפשרה לו לזהות את תנועת הזמן גם ללא אמצעים גשמיים.

בספרות הקבלה (כגון בשער הכוונות) מפורטות ההארות הרוחניות המיוחדות לכל יום וכל שעה. אין רגע הזהה לחברו, ולכל עת ייעוד משלה.

החיים משולים לספר רחב יריעה, והאדם כותב אותו במעשיו (חובות הלבבות, שער חשבון הנפש, פ"ג). בשביל לסבר את האוזן: השנה היא כרך, השבוע הוא פרק, היום הוא סעיף, והדקה – מילה המורכבת מאותיות. בעת כתיבת אות בודדת קשה לראות את המשפט השלם, אך בסוף התהליך מתברר המבנה המפואר. כך גם סופר סת"ם השוקד על כל אות בנפרד – רק בסיום מלאכתו נחשף ספר התורה במלוא הדרו.

התמודדות עם זמני קושי ומצר

בעתות התמודדות ומשבר, עלול אדם לחוש יאוש ולייחל לכך שהיום הקשה יימחק מלוח חייו. אולם זוהי טעות תפיסתית: אותם ימים קשים אינם "זמן מבוזבז", אלא חומרי גלם ייחודיים הנחוצים לבניין השלם. עבודה הרוחנית הבוקעת דווקא מתוך המצר והקושי, היא שמייצרת את הנדבך החסר בנפש.

הדבר דומה לסתת אבנים הנתקל בזווית קשה וקשוחה באבן. פסיחה על הנקודה המאתגרת תפגום בשלמות היצירה. הידיעה כי דווקא בקושי הנקודתי טמון ערך ייחודי – מעניקה כוח לשאת את התהליך.

שכל גבוה וממד הזמן

רבי נחמן מברסלב זצ"ל לימד (ליקוטי מוהר"ן תנינא, סימן סא): "כפי הגדלת השכל – כן נקטן ונכבש הזמן". בעיניים משיגות, מה שנראֶה לנו כקיומי ארוך של שבעים שנה, עשוי להתכווץ למשך של רבע שעה.

תופעה זו ניכרת גם בחוויה האנושית הפשוטה: בעיני ילד קטן, הזמן נע באיטיות רבה וכל יום נחווה כאינסופי, בעוד שאצל האדם המבוגר, שדעתו רחבה יותר, הזמן חולף במהירות.

שכל מפותח מסוגל להקיף תהליכים ארוכים במבט אחד. הילד, שדעתו קצרה, מתקשה לדחות סיפוקים מכיוון שאינו רואה את הנולד ואת חיוניות הפעולה למען העתיד. ככל שהדעת מתרחבת, מתחזקת היכולת לתפוס רצף זמנים ארוך כחטיבה ממוקדת אחת.

מבט על התמונה הכוללת

לעיתים קרובות אדם תמיה על קורותיו. סיבת התמיהה היא מיקומו הנקודתי בתוך האירוע, המונע ממנו לראות את המכלול.

כך היה בשעבוד מצרים: בשעת הסבל, העבד הבודד לא ידע את תכלית מכאובו. אולם במבט היסטורי רחב, מתברר כי הסבל שימש כתהליך זיכוך וצירוף (כפי שנזכר בספרי המקובלים והפרשנים) שהכיל את עם ישראל לקבלת התורה והביא לתיקון עמוק.

דוגמה מוחשית לכך ניתן לראות בתיעוד היסטורי מ'הכנסייה הגדולה' בווינה (תרפ"ג). שם נראה הגאון רבי יעקב מאיר בידרמן זצ"ל (חתנו של 'השפת אמת'). באותם ימים הוקף בבנים ובחתנים מורמים מעם, תלמידי חכמים ומנהיגים. מנגד, הייתה בביתו בת אחת גרושה שעמדה בבדידותה. אילו התבקש אז לסכם את רוות נחת רוחו, מסתבר שהיה מצביע על בניו השובבים, ולא על בתו השרויה בצער.

אולם כעבור עשרים שנה, בעקבות חורבן אירופה הנורא בשואה, נכחדה כל משפחתו הענפה. מכל אותה משפחה רוממה לא נותר שריד – למעט אותה בת גרושה, אשר נישאה בזיווג שני ל'אמרי אמת', וממנה יצא בנו זקוניו, ה'פני מנחם' זצ"ל, שהקים עולם שלם של תורה וצאצאים. במבט היסטורי רחב, דווקא אותה נקודה שנראתה כחיסרון וכאב, הייתה השריד והתקומה של הבית כולו.

אירוע זה ממחיש כי ראייה נקודתית אינה מסוגלת להכיל את ההשגחה האלוהית, וכי התמודדויות ההווה טומנות בחובן תכלית עמוקה לטובה.

השגת העתיד אפשרית אף היא מתוך התעלות רוחנית. כפי שמובא על הבעל שם טוב זי"ע, שצפה מראש מעשה שאירע עם גיסו רבי גרשון מקיטוב, והסביר כי בעולמות עליונים נתפסים טווי זמנים של שנים רבות כהתרחשות אחת בהווה. ככל שהאדם מתעלה ומחובר למקור הפנימי של הבריאה, כך מתרחבת יכולתו להבין את רצף המאורעות העתידי.

הבלי הזמן מול קניני הנצח

בספרי הקדמונים נקראים תענוגי העולם הזה בשם "הבלי הזמן". הכינוי נובע מכך שכל ענייני החומר הינם ארציים, חולפים ופגי תוקף. הם אינם מותירים רושם נצחי. לעומת זאת, תורה, מצוות ומעשים טובים הם קניינים מוחלטים העומדים לעד.

הטעות השכיחה היא להעדיף את הזמני והחולף – כגון עדכוני חדשות המאבדים את ערכם תוך זמן קצר – על פני העיסוק בנצחי. החומר מתכלה, והרוחניות נשארת.

התחדשות תמידית מתוך חיבור פנימי

תחושת שחיקה בעבודת ה' נובעת לרוב מביצוע מעשים באופן חיצוני ומכני. חזרה יבשה על פעולות ללא נפש ורגש מביאה לידי יגיעה ושיעמום.

אולם כאשר מתקיים חיבור פנימי לעשייה, המעשה אינו נמאס לעולם – כשם שאדם אינו נשחק מפעולת האכילה, כיוון שהוא נהנה ממנה מחדש בכל עת. החיוניות הפנימית מעניקה לכל רגע ולכל מצווה נופך חדש, וזהו עומק המאמר: "בכל יום יהיו בעיניך כחדשים".

מתוך התבוננות זו, מוטל עלינו לחדור אל פנימיות הזמן, להכיר בערכו הייחודי של כל רגע ורגע, ולנצלו מתוך התחדשות מתמדת – עד שנזכה להיות "באים בימים", כשאנו משלימים את תפקידנו עלי אדמות במלואו.

Space And Time

Essays for Elul: Fourth Essay — Space and Time

Saturday Night, Parshat Ki Teitzei

Part I: The Sanctuary of Space

"And he encountered the place" (Genesis 28:11). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ammi: "Why do we use a substitute name for the Holy One, blessed be He, and call Him 'Makom' (Place)? Because He is the place of the world, and His world is not His place—as it is written, 'Behold, there is a place with Me' (Exodus 33:21). Thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, is the place of the world, but His world is not His place" (Genesis Rabbah 68:10).

In most instances where the Torah recounts a revelation of the Divine Presence (Shechinah), it takes care to specify the location: "And God ascended from upon him in the place where He had spoken with him" (Genesis 35:13). This suggests that the location of revelation is not a trivial detail, but rather an essential requirement for it to occur. We must therefore understand: What is the relationship between physical space and Divine revelation?

Furthermore, there are distinct hierarchies of holiness: outside the Land of Israel versus inside it, the rest of Israel versus Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, the Temple Courtyard, and ultimately the Holy of Holies. Why does location matter regarding holiness if "the entire earth is full of His glory"? How do spatial distinctions apply here?

Our Sages excluded the physical world from being "His place"—meaning the physical world does not sustain or necessitate the manifestation of His Divinity. If space holds no inherently positive value for Divine revelation, what is the meaning behind the ascending levels of the Ten Degrees of Holiness?

It appears that all physical creation acts as a double-edged sword: on one hand, it serves as evidence of Divinity; on the other, it acts as a barrier between us and Him. Physicality and matter obscure our ability to perceive a holy, spiritual Essence. Within physical locations, there are varying capacities for these barriers to dissolve, allowing for Divine perception:

Refined Locations: Spaces where physical matter is finer and more easily annulled.

Coarse Locations: Spaces of dense materiality where dissolving the barrier is nearly impossible.

In a place where this self-nullification (bitul) occurs, physical matter loses its prominence and becomes as nothing. As these barriers fall away, the true "Place of the World" is revealed. It becomes clear that the physical location holds no independent reality; it is entirely secondary to the true Makom.

This is the deeper meaning of the "holiness of a place": a setting where the barriers separating us from Him are removed. The more these barriers dissolve, the more Divinity is revealed.

"Remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5). "Remove your shoes" means to remove the barrier separating the individual from the "holy ground." Notice the Hebrew phrasing: it does not say admas kodesh hi (a holy ground), but admas kodesh hu—meaning the place itself is the holy ground, for it touches the true Place of the World. When Moshe stood before the Burning Bush, all physical barriers dissolved, opening a direct manifestation of the Place of the World upon which he stood.

This accounts for the varying degrees of holiness, culminating in the Holy of Holies—the ultimate point where all world barriers vanish. When the High Priest entered the innermost sanctuary, the physical stones, beams, wood, and earth ceased to act as an obscuring screen. Everything was entirely annulled, enabling him to hear "the Voice speaking to him from above the ark-cover... from between the two cherubim" (Numbers 7:89).

Part II: The Degrees of Nullification

A person's spiritual stature determines their ability to look past physical barriers and perceive the Holy One as the true Place of the World:

Yisro: Acknowledged God above idols, saying, "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods" (Exodus 18:11).

Naaman: Granted a partial recognition, saying, "There is no God in all the earth except in Israel" (2 Kings 5:15).

Rachav: Excluded the heavens and earth, saying, "For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below" (Joshua 2:11)—yet she left the empty expanse of space (chalalo shel olam) as a entity.

Moshe: Recognized that "the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other" (Deuteronomy 4:39)—not even in the empty expanse of space.

Rachav dissolved the barriers of heaven and earth but treated space itself as a neutral background. Moshe realized that even empty space is a physical creation, not an independent reality, and he looked through even the thinnest physical barriers to perceive God clearly.

Space and time are created entities. When Albert Einstein was asked to summarize his theory of relativity, he explained that people previously believed if all stars and matter were removed, space and time would remain. His insight was that if all matter were removed, space and time would vanish as well. Space and time are fundamentally created, not eternal.

"In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1)—Sforno explains this marks the creation of time itself. Time is a creation parallel to space. Just as space contains varied levels of holiness, time contains distinct realms of the sacred and the mundane. The Sabbath and Festivals are holy times, prompting the blessing, "Who sanctifies Israel and the festive seasons."

Part III: The Sanctity of Time

Just as holy places possess a unique capacity for dissolving spatial barriers, holy times possess a capacity for dissolving temporal barriers. Time, too, contains distractions that hinder our closeness to God. When those barriers fall, the Divine Presence is revealed.

"Six days you shall labor... but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:9-10). The six workdays are filled with mundane labors and livelihoods, whereas the Sabbath is "to the Lord"—entirely dedicated and humbled before Him. When a person guards the sanctity of time by refraining from labor, they actively remove time's barriers and elevate themselves in holiness.

Maimonides highlights this dynamic when discussing the shofar:

"Even though the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a Scriptural decree, it contains a hint: 'Awake, you sleepers, from your sleep, and you slumberers, arise from your slumber... those who forget the truth through the vanities of time and stray all their years in vanity and emptiness that cannot yield benefit or salvation—look to your souls!'" (Laws of Repentance 3:4)

"Forgetting the truth through the vanities of time"—at first glance, "truth" and "time" seem to be unrelated concepts. How can time's trivialities cause one to forget truth? Time generates mundane distractions that push truth out of a person's life, turning time itself into a thick wall between man and truth. The shofar's role is to break through this temporal barrier and awaken us from our year-long slumber.

This reveals a profound lesson: We often assume the primary goal is simply intellectual comprehension of truth, regardless of how we arrive there. Yet here we see that the master key is not abstract thought, but our relationship with time. One who strips away temporal vanities and nullifies time's barriers before God automatically stands beside eternity and accesses truth.

Part IV: Space vs. Time — The Inner Dimension

Which form of spiritual work reaches deeper: space or time? Time touches a deeper internal dimension: 

Domain	Talmudic Source	Case	Spiritual Verdict	Significance
Space	Pirkei Avot 3:3	Three who eat together without Torah words	"As if they ate from sacrifices to the dead"	Lacks spatial sanctity (Bli Makom); missing the vitality of Torah.
Time	Pirkei Avot 3:4	One who awakens at night or walks alone and turns their heart to idleness	"Forfeits his life" (Mischayev be-Nafsho)	Wastes an opportunity in time; forfeits their very soul.

Our Sages chose their words with precision. Lacking spatial sanctity is compared to eating unholy sacrifices, but wasting time makes one forfeit their life. Time represents life itself, making time wasted a direct loss of life.

This resolves a classic difficulty in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 7a / Shabbat 31b):

Sanhedrin states that a person's initial judgment after death focuses on Torah study.

Shabbat lists "Did you establish fixed times for Torah study?" as the second question, after commercial integrity.

Tosafot explains that the first question applies to someone who failed to study altogether. But why ask a lifelong, devoted scholar if they "established fixed times for Torah"? If their entire life was spent studying, why ask about fixed times?

This proves that establishing fixed times for Torah (Kvias Itim) is a distinct duty beyond the quantity of study itself. It reflects our obligation to sanctify time. The source of all spiritual abundance flows through the sanctity of dedicated time.

Our life's work is to safeguard the sanctity of set times for study and the sanctity of holy spaces—such as synagogues and study halls—which serve as the remaining four cubits of Law in our world. Spiritual achievement cannot be reached outside the vessel of actual time. By sanctifying the present moment—the now—we connect ourselves to eternity. [מורנו הגר"ש]

The Essence Of Mussar

To understand the nature of Mussar (ethical self-improvement), we must first premise that the absolute opposite of Mussar is flippancy and levity (leitzanus and lack of seriousness)—levity and Mussar are literal opposites. The core purpose of studying Mussar is to train and habituate oneself to contemplate Torah matters and one’s ultimate purpose ("what is his duty in his world") with genuine gravity and seriousness. In these core matters—upon which a person's entire existence depends—one must reflect and deliberate deeply.

Is it not astounding that a person can journey through this world, passing through life as if in a dream, without ever entertaining a single serious thought regarding the purpose and essence of his life? While there are varying degrees of this state, the common denominator among most people is that they have never bothered to think with the necessary seriousness.

"Awake, sleeper, from your sleep, and slumberers, arise from your lethargy of temporary vanities!"

When a person awakens from his slumber and begins to think properly—especially if he reflects deeply on the ethical and spiritual parts of the Torah and the words of the Sages, which teach one how to think—he will realize that until today he was simply immersed in a deep sleep. He was like a dreamer, completely out of touch with the real world and living in a world of pure imagination. Suddenly, a totally different, absolute reality opens before his eyes.

These "vanities of time" are what cause a person to forget his duty and ultimate purpose. As Maimonides writes (Laws of Repentance 3:4) regarding the symbolic hint of the Shofar:

"Awake, you sleepers, from your sleep, and you slumberers, arise from your slumber! Examine your deeds, return in repentance, and remember your Creator—those who forget the truth in the vanities of the time and stray all their years in emptiness and breath which cannot profit or save. Look to your souls, improve your ways and your deeds, and let each of you abandon his evil path and improper thoughts."

The sounding of the Shofar is a Divine counsel from God to awaken those lulled to sleep by temporary vanities. While there are hidden, esoteric dimensions to this, the straightforward plain meaning (peshat) is clear: people are asleep, forgetting the truth because they are submerged in worldly distractions. They require an awakening to recognize the truth and remember their Creator. Therefore, God established a day of judgment each year, with the Shofar acting as the herald of that judgment. From this we see how the Torah devises strategies to awaken a person on Rosh Hashanah—the Day of Judgment and Coronation—and bring him into the real world.

The Renewal of Man on Rosh Hashanah

On Rosh Hashanah, the creation of the first man (Adam HaRishon) is renewed annually. Every Rosh Hashanah, God declares once again, "Let us make man." However, someone who forgets the truth, slumbers in temporal vanities, and lacks the proper clarity of mind to think as a human should, does not fall under the category of "man" (Adam); he is not part of the rational human being created on this day. When the Heavenly Court proclaims "Let us make man" on Rosh Hashanah, it means that on this day we must reconstruct ourselves to meet the true definition of a "man"—to begin thinking as a human being ought to think.

The term "vanities of time" (havlei hazman) shares an etymological root with breath/air (hevel). The pervasive atmosphere and hustle-and-bustle of the modern world cause a person to forget the truth. Esoterically, the atmosphere is filled with spiritually external, distracting forces (chitzonim) that obscure the truth. One of the inner functions of blowing the Shofar is clearing these spiritual distractions from the surrounding air. As explained in the Kabbalistic works (Sha'ar HaKavanot, Derushei Rosh Hashanah 7), the secret of the Shofar is the secret of holy breath (hevel d'kedushah). Blowing the Shofar releases a pure, holy atmosphere that dispels external distractions. This explains how the Shofar awakens memory of the truth: it surrounds a person with a atmosphere of holiness, removing him from spiritual haze and allowing him to think clearly.

This is similar to what happens when one enters the presence of a righteous person (Tzaddik). In their presence, one's thought patterns naturally shift toward higher, more elevated matters. This occurs because a elevated, holy atmosphere surrounds the Tzaddik. Naturally, each individual experiences this according to their own spiritual level—those who are more spiritually sensitive feel an immediate elevation, experiencing entirely different thoughts and refined feelings.

It is told of the holy Rabbi Mendele of Vorki (of blessed memory) that he would not speak at all during his public gatherings (tischen); he did not utter a single word or sing any melodies. He sat in total silence, yet he profoundly influenced those present simply by bringing a holy atmosphere into his surroundings. Such was his spiritual power that people achieved personal transformation just by being in his presence, without the need for spoken words. The Shofar operates in the exact same manner: it draws down a holy atmosphere through the breath that passes through it, inspiring a person to wake up and contemplate the true priorities forgotten amid daily vanities.

Overcoming Self-Contradiction and Spiritual Blind Spots

One must realize that "vanities of time" are truly meaningless, yet they exert a powerful force through which negative inclinations sway and mock a person. They can make someone forget the most basic truths—even concepts he utters and engages with hundreds of times a day. A person can say things without processing what he is saying, acting in ways that directly contradict his daily verbal declarations.

The "vanities of time" confuse a person so deeply that he fails to recognize how full of self-contradictions he is.

Because he is submerged in these vanities, he goes through life like a dreamer. Just as a dream is filled with absurdities—where one moment you are in one place and the next in another, or one person suddenly transforms into someone else—an unreflective life becomes equally fragmented and full of contradictions.

A person can study ethical teachings (Mussar) dozens or hundreds of times without ever internalizing that the lessons apply directly to his own life and behavior. For example, a person may pray three times a day, asking God: "Let my soul be as dust to all." Yet, when faced with the smallest test—if someone slightly offends or insult him—his pride is instantly triggered. He reacts defensively, insults the person back, and enters a feud.

Where was his prayer of "let my soul be as dust to all" when the actual opportunity to practice it presented itself? What happened to his original intention? This disconnect occurs because he is completely absorbed in worldly distractions, acting mechanically without reflection. In this way, a person’s day and night become filled with endless internal contradictions.

Similarly, a person might view himself as a man of truth, even while routinely uttering obvious falsehoods, exaggerations, or deceptive statements in daily conversation without noticing. If we were to carefully examine human behavior, we would see how foolishness distorts our path, leaving us subject to shame and embarrassment over our daily hypocrisies. It is only because God spares human dignity (kavod habriyos) that these flaws remain hidden from public view. Without this divine concealment, the extent of human inconsistency would be exposed.

The Pathways of Mussar and Hasidut

In truth, one should not dwell obsessively on human flaws. There was a major philosophical difference between the movement of Mussar and the movement of Hasidut regarding the most effective path to spiritual refinement:

The Mussar Approach: Focused more directly on uncovering a person’s flaws so he would not deceive himself, compelling him to confront his weaknesses head-on.

The Hasidic Approach: Focused less on dwelling on coarse flaws and more on expanding a person's innate good, elevating his soul above his shortcomings. Hasidut held that it is better to engage with the higher, holy dimensions of the human spirit—the divine soul (chelek Eloha m'maal).

While a person should not become fixated on his shortcomings, he must not deceive himself or ignore them entirely; he must remain realistic about his area for growth.

When a person lacks seriousness, it is primarily due to these worldly distractions. If spiritual matters had immediate, tangible consequences in the physical realm, he would treat them with absolute urgency. But because the consequences are spiritual, he treats them lightly, viewing Mussar study as something optional or inconsequential.

The Language of Pain vs. The Language of Reason

While this lack of seriousness has existed throughout generations, it is especially prevalent today, particularly among young men. In some circles, a spirit of flippancy and cynicism (leitzanus) causes people to laugh off serious matters as if they were irrelevant.

However, when a tragedy or illness strikes a household—may God protect us—a person’s attitude transforms instantly. Suddenly, he becomes deeply serious, seeking ways to improve his conduct, reciting Psalms, giving charity, and searching for merits. Many individuals have undergone complete life transformations and become genuinely devout through times of trial.

This raises a fundamental question: where was this seriousness yesterday? Before the trial occurred, the person studied the same ethical texts and Sages' warnings about the severity of these matters and their impact on his eternal life—such as the teaching that "Whoever is arrogant, his dust will not be stirred [at the resurrection]" (Sotah 5a). Yet those words had no practical effect on him at the time; no lesson inspired him to take on serious spiritual discipline. Only when suffering arrived did he wake up.

This behavior resembles an animal or a young child that only responds to a stick—they do not understand the language of reason until physical force is applied. As long as one appealed to his intellect, he deflected with humor, jokes, or mocking the speaker as being "too frum". Nothing moved him until forced by hardship.

Regarding this, the Sages stated: "Whoever engages in levity, suffering comes upon him" (Avodah Zarah 5b). As explained in Mesillat Yesharim (Chapter 5), a cynic can dismiss a hundred ethical rebukes with a single joke, but he cannot joke away suffering. If he refuses to understand the language of reason and ethical instruction, he will ultimately be taught through the language of hardship. A single cynical joke can ruin the effect of extensive study, but suffering cannot be so easily dismissed.

Internalizing Ethical Discipline

The Sages taught: "A single self-rebuke in a person's heart is greater than many lashes" (Berachot 7a)—and Resh Lakish stated, "greater than a hundred lashes." The true goal of Mussar study is to cultivate this internal awareness, allowing reason and intellect to guide a person far more effectively than external discipline or punishment. God endowed man with intellect so that he might evaluate his life with responsibility and gravity.

Great tzaddikim operate on a level where every insight gained in Torah study becomes an immediate personal obligation, driving them to integrate that truth into their daily character and behavior. In a broader sense, the core purpose of Mussar is to habituate a person to feel that spiritual principles are personally relevant, allowing them to shape his mindset and daily conduct.

Contemplating Eternity and the Transience of Life

If a person were to contemplate—even for a single moment—the profound weight of his actions during his brief seventy years on Earth and how they shape his eternal existence (olam ha-emes), the sheer weight of that responsibility might feel overwhelming. When these thoughts feel too heavy to bear, one must carefully balance his perspective to avoid spiritual burn-out, internalizing truth in manageable measures.

Life in this world is fleeting—here today and in the grave tomorrow, passing like a fleeting shadow. Yet, people often attend funerals or comfort mourners without considering that their own time will also come.

It is told that Rabbi Shalom Schwadron (of blessed memory) quoted the Mussar masters regarding how people react when witnessing others pass away: they often act as if death only applies to a certain "society of mortals" to which they themselves do not belong. Regarding this blindness, King Solomon wrote:

"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living shall take it to heart." (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

Attending a funeral should leave a lasting impression. In truth, a person busy with worldly affairs often forgets that nothing of his material pursuits will remain with him in the end. In the grave, money, honor, and physical pursuits hold no value. As the Mishnah states: "At the time of a person's departure, neither silver, nor gold, nor precious stones accompany him, but only Torah and good deeds" (Ethics of the Fathers 6:9).

If a person attending a funeral truly took the day of death to heart, recognizing that only Torah and good deeds possess lasting value, he would have learned a profound lesson in Mussar—one that no book alone could teach. Yet, people often attend funerals repeatedly without pausing to reflect, simply because they have not trained themselves to think deeply.

A person must shake off the slumber of worldly distractions and habituate himself to reflection. He must realize that during these few fleeting years in this world, he is actively building his eternal existence—shaping his ultimate standing forever through his adherence to Torah and fulfillment of the commandments.