Time is Relative |
The human perspective of time is straightforward and linear. What happened in the past is behind us in the rearview mirror. The future looms ahead, just beyond the horizon. The now is upon us - right now. After this moment, time and life will march forward. If that was a good moment, it will be stored in the annals of the brain for future reference. If it was a tough time, it may be difficult to purge it from the archives of the mind. This is our memory. Some cherish their memories: a virtual scrapbook available for perusal at random intervals throughout the day. Fuzzy cats, rainbows, childhood friends, and homeruns during kickball games uplift them when the future looks grim. Others are haunted by the past. Shaken with the knowledge of their personal history and plagued by painful recollections of life's tribulations; they feel weighed down. Mourning the past, fearful about the future, unsure of their next step, for some memory can be a chronic illness. Granted, from the human perspective it's all history. Memory is just the highway mile marker of life's progression. At times, some memory maintenance may be in order. One might resign oneself to dedicated sessions with their psychologist to address particular failures and shortcomings. Alternatively, one could find solace in a few more milligrams of Zoloft to ease the stress and smooth the rough edges of the psyche. Let's thank G‑d, because He at least has a refreshing and positive spin on history and memory. G‑d's vantage is a 180-degree turn from the straight and narrow human perspective. He functions in the infinite pocket of the now, that includes both the past and future. A sandwich of time where all events have occurred, are occurring, and will occur-simultaneously. That sounds lovely for Him, but should we care? For it is here and now that we travel, stuck within the boundaries of time, plodding forward with fuzzy kittens or tragic thoughts following close behind. Can G‑d's transcendent mastery of time help us? Yes it can. Our missteps have not only been recorded on G‑d's funniest home videos but are actually taking place right now. Don't be crestfallen; He won't make fun of you for vomiting at the Junior Prom. Rise high, for the way of the Jewish spiritual warrior is transcendent. We have the latent power within us to go beyond the confines of the time space continuum and mend our wrongdoings. Teshuvah, repentance, is the ability to travel back to that moment and fix the issue. Since, from G‑d's vantage point – it's all going down right now, it is never too late. |
Showing posts with label Editorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Editorial. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Yom Kippur....Easy Fast Everyone.....
Monday, September 29, 2008
Rosh Hashanah
THE 48 HOUR BRAIN
By Yanki Tauber
Today's neurology has caught up with yesterday's science fiction. Maps have been drawn up of the interior of our skull. Virtually every hillock and groove has been tagged: tweak this neuron-transmitter, and you'll hear lyrics of a song you haven't heard or remembered in 30 years; pinch that nerve ending, and you'll zap your craving for potato chips and lose 15 pounds in a month. Well, not quite. But we're getting there.
The year, a body of time with 365 organs and limbs, also has a brain -- the 48 hours of Rosh Hashanah. That's what the Hebrew words rosh hashanah literally mean -- "head of the year." On Rosh Hashanah, we crown G-d King. On Rosh Hashanah, G-d is aroused, once again, with the desire to create the world. Channels of vitality and awareness connect the 48 hours of Rosh Hashanah to each of the hundreds of days, thousands of hours and millions of seconds of the year, like those that join the brain to its body.
That's why the two days of Rosh Hashanah are so special: the impact of our every action, word and thought increases thousand-fold. If we're kind on Rosh Hashanah, we'll be kinder people throughout the year. If we weigh our words carefully during these two days, our speech will be more refined throughout the year. If we focus on a certain weakness of ours and resolve to make a stronger effort, we'll find our resolution translating into action far more effectively than resolutions made at other times.
If you can access the brain, you can do just about anything. You can waken memories, restore lapsed talents, alleviate fears, magnify joys, abolish prejudices, stimulate interest and charge up motivation. You can basically re-program your life, at least for a year.
By Yanki Tauber
Today's neurology has caught up with yesterday's science fiction. Maps have been drawn up of the interior of our skull. Virtually every hillock and groove has been tagged: tweak this neuron-transmitter, and you'll hear lyrics of a song you haven't heard or remembered in 30 years; pinch that nerve ending, and you'll zap your craving for potato chips and lose 15 pounds in a month. Well, not quite. But we're getting there.
The year, a body of time with 365 organs and limbs, also has a brain -- the 48 hours of Rosh Hashanah. That's what the Hebrew words rosh hashanah literally mean -- "head of the year." On Rosh Hashanah, we crown G-d King. On Rosh Hashanah, G-d is aroused, once again, with the desire to create the world. Channels of vitality and awareness connect the 48 hours of Rosh Hashanah to each of the hundreds of days, thousands of hours and millions of seconds of the year, like those that join the brain to its body.
That's why the two days of Rosh Hashanah are so special: the impact of our every action, word and thought increases thousand-fold. If we're kind on Rosh Hashanah, we'll be kinder people throughout the year. If we weigh our words carefully during these two days, our speech will be more refined throughout the year. If we focus on a certain weakness of ours and resolve to make a stronger effort, we'll find our resolution translating into action far more effectively than resolutions made at other times.
If you can access the brain, you can do just about anything. You can waken memories, restore lapsed talents, alleviate fears, magnify joys, abolish prejudices, stimulate interest and charge up motivation. You can basically re-program your life, at least for a year.
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