Rabbi Eli Grunewald (Jewish Student Chaplain
Scotland):
It is a great honour to have been
invited here to lead the time for reflection this afternoon.
When I was considering a topic for today, the phrase “time for
reflection” really caught my attention. I noticed that it can
be switched around to read “reflection for time”.
Time is the most precious commodity
that we have, yet we sometimes treat it as though it is
unlimited. As a chaplain, it is not strange for me to hear a
student express feelings such as a desire to wish away today,
this week, even this month, when things are not going so well.
While sympathising with the stress and complications that often
go hand in hand with student life, I always encourage students
to resist that desire. Every day is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity, one that we will never have again. Robert Burns
summed that up wonderfully, in 1790, in his poem “Tam o’
Shanter”. As Burns put it,
“Nae man can tether time or
tide.”
Although I believe that the poem
refers to the story of a farmer and his wayward friends, that
line encapsulates the certainty that time will run out
eventually and will not wait for anyone or
anything.
Last week, we celebrated Passover,
the great festival of liberation. In the middle of the
celebrations, we pause to do something very simple: count the
days. From then, each day until the early-summer festival of
Pentecost, we mention how many days have passed. Today is day
10. Our counting helps us realise the importance of every day,
every week, every month. It helps us focus on the here and now,
and reminds us to use our time well. It is so easy to forget
that the moments in which we live become days, months,
years.
An ancient Jewish source—the Book of
Psalms—mentions that idea of counting days. The psalmist dwells
on the reality that our lives are brief and filled with
challenging times, and pass us by so very quickly. He then asks
God to help us to count our days wisely.
Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski explains
that the psalmist means that, when we remember that the clock
is ticking for all of us, we will be more likely to use our
days to the full. And I believe that, when we reflect on how
limited time is—when we remember how limited our own time
is—that will help us use our time wisely and, indeed, give us
more time for reflection.
Thank you.
