Every Second Counts!

This week's Parsha is set after Sarah's death. We are told that she lived for "one hundred years, twenty years and seven years." The repetition of the word years tells us that every moment of her life was complete - in terms of good deeds - she did not waste a moment, using every opportunity to its fullest.

A Rabbi once asked somebody what time the morning Shacharit service started. "Oh, 9:10 or 9:15am", was the reply. "Which is it?" the Rabbi asked. "What difference does it make?" "You can accomplish a lot in five minutes." We find a similar concept regarding Abraham, whom the Torah tells us was "old and come along in days". When Abraham aged, he did not merely pass through the days of his life; he accumulated them. Each day was fully utilized, so that they were fully possessed by him.

Like Sarah and Abraham, and the Rabbi in the story, may we all use and cherish each and every minute of every day to the fullest, and may our actions truly count!