* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
How do we know that something is truly important to us? We make time for it on our schedule.
This week’s Torah portion, Emor, provides details regarding the nation of Israel’s special days and times of the year: Shabbat, Pesach, Sefirat HaOmer, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. The Torah sets the dates of these sacred days on our calendars for all time.
Since the creation of the universe, Shabbat has been a day of rest and holiness. Do we remember to mark it on our calendars as a day to pause, to replenish ourselves and to reconnect with what really matters? We also merited to receive Yom Kippur, a day meant for repentance, forgiveness, and atonement. Each year, do we remember to tune in to the holy frequency of this singular day?
The answer is yes. It’s amazing to read this week’s parasha and recognize that more than three thousand years after the holy days of our calendar were set, we are still observing them, as we keep them on our shared calendar as an eternal source of strength and inspiration.
Today we hear much about “time management,” but this parasha teaches us about “values management” — that is, how the values most precious to us are eternally embedded in our calendars.
May we all make what is of lasting importance to us an integral part of our schedules and our lives.
