“Too Much Time Without God”

February 6, 2004
Rabbi Jeremy Barras

There is a reason why no one really looks forward to Mondays. It is the beginning of the week, a full week of work is ahead of us, and the weekend is over. Kids must go back to school, wake up really early, do lots of homework, and everyone knows that they must work for 5 more long days until the next break.

If you are like me and you like your job, or whatever you do to pass the days, then you are one of the lucky ones. It is hard for me to imagine waking up every morning and going to a job that does not provide satisfaction and stimulation. But for many of us, that is reality. And even for those of us who do like their work, it is still often hard to wake up every morning, go into the office, and more or less do the same thing everyday. Life forces us into a routine – we do the same thing virtually every morning – wake up, shower, get dressed, coffee, breakfast, maybe the paper, and then get in the car or bus and drive away. We are so programmed that any little change is a real shock to our systems. Have you ever had to go somewhere in the morning besides work, and instead of driving to where you need to go, you start out driving to your work because you are so accustomed to doing so, only to remember you had somewhere else to go that morning? Recently I had a dentist appointment, and it was only when I turned the car off in my parking spot in the Temple parking lot that I realized I was in the wrong place. Maybe you have never done this, but certainly all of us wake up on a weekday morning every now and then and wish desperately that it was Saturday or Sunday and you could just stay in bed. There are reasons why our kids pray to God more on nights when there is a chance of snow than they do all other days of the year. And it is not because they are practicing for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

It is very easy to lapse into a rut, to become tired or bored, or to feel simply that you need a break from your endless routine. However, what might be just as helpful as a change in schedule or some time away might be a change in daily outlook.

For example, when we wake up on that Monday morning and know that we need to get moving and get to work, the last thing we are thinking about is thanking anyone for anything. But actually, the first thing we are supposed to do when we wake up in the morning is to thank God for giving us life anew – because we believe that each morning God grants us a new life, and for that we must give thanks.

What a great disparity between these two sentiments. On the one hand, you have someone who begins the day cursing it and wishing that it had not arrived, that it was still 3 in the morning and he could go back to bed. He is unhappy and uneager to start his day – he looks forward to nothing, and so he derives nothing positive from his morning. That is a tough way to begin a long day.

Now let’s look at another model. A man wakes up and before he even arises out of bed, he says the words prescribed by the great Rabbi Joseph Caro; “I thank thee, O living and Eternal King, Who has mercifully restored my soul within me.” Rather than dwelling on the obstacles that stand before him, this man views his day as a gift. He understands that he should be thankful for every day and that it is God who has made this new day, full of possibilities and challenges, available to him. Instead of beginning his day with negativity and regret, he begins with appreciation and gratitude.

So often I am with families in times when they truly recognize the value of each day. I have seen people in the hospital after their son or daughter was in a serious car accident. I see people who have just learned that they have been diagnosed with a serious illness. And I have been with people in the moments and hours after one of their loved ones has passed away. In these times, all of us are quite aware of the value of each and every second our lives. You can bet your life that a parent who has just heard that his son or daughter was in a car accident, but is going to be ok immediately thanks God for the blessing of watching over that child’s life. It is in those moments when we seek out God and ask God to comfort us.

But ironically, it is the times when we having nothing to complain about, when things are going along fine, that we lose sight of the value of each day – when we proceed with our daily schedule unaware of the Divine who provides and sustains our lives.

In this week’s Torah Portion, Ki Tissa, the Israelites in the wilderness fell prey to spending too much time without God. While Moses was atop Mount Sinai with God receiving the Torah to deliver to the people, the Israelites decided they needed a deity to take God’s place. And so they proceeded to build the golden calf, and commit one of the most disgraceful and ungrateful acts in our people’s eternal history.
The Israelites at this time should have been very happy and content. They had just witnessed the wonders that God did for them in Egypt, they were about to receive the Torah from God, and eventually they would be led into the promised land of Israel (at least until they built that calf anyway). They had been sustained by God in the desert and watched over and protected by God’ divine presence. But instead of occupying their time with thanking God for all the wondrous deeds He did for them, they forgot about God and effectively lost interest in Him. That is what happens when things are going well – we tend to forget why they are going so well and who made our fortune possible.

Sometimes a symptom of having things going so well is simply being very busy. It is very easy for us to be caught up in whatever it is that we do to make a living – or even what we do to entertain ourselves. Ask yourself this: How long in a day can you go without thinking about work? If you are retired, think back to when you used to work. Now, ask yourself – how long can you go without thinking about God?
I know this is somewhat of an unfair question. You could very fairly say: Is thinking about God going to feed my kids? Are my prayers going to pay my mortgage? Well yes, and no. One of the questions that we are taught a Jew is asked when he/she gets to heaven is, “Were you fair in your business dealings?” It is understood in Judaism that our livelihoods play a major role in our lives. Even many of the rabbis of the Talmud believed that in addition to their studying and teaching, they were required to have other jobs to support their families.

But we cannot let our tradition’s understanding of work and work related issues prevent us from remembering and appreciating Who gave us the ability and opportunities to hold the positions we hold. Unfortunately for those who do not grasp this concept, they will struggle with the other question we are asked when we get to Heaven: “Did you respect Shabbat and did you honor the Torah?”

There was once a great rabbi who was so caught up in his study one evening that he did not realize that it was time for prayers. After some time waiting, a few of his students came to find him in the study hall where he was carefully studying a particular text. They said to him, Rabbi, Rabbi, it is time to go to shul for evening prayers.” When he realized that he was running late, he said, “How dare I keep the Almighty waiting for me?”

We can only imagine that if such a pious figure was so regretful for being late for prayers because of his Torah study, how we should feel when we keep God waiting because of our secular and profane endeavors.

Today there are many obstacles that could cause us to stumble in our ways. We face complacency, repetition, and the burdens of day-to-day living. Yet, somewhere in our minds we know that the only path we have to overcoming these challenges is the path that these challenges try to block. It is our duty to make sure that we find ways to keep the Divine within us and show our appreciation not only when it is convenient for us, but when it is expected by God. Then will we fulfill the words of the Psalmist, “All the Lord’s paths are steadfast love for those who love God’s covenant.”

May we be inspired on a daily basis to experience God in our lives, to exhibit our appreciation for God’s gifts, and to find meaning in the traditions of our faith.

Kein Yehi Ratzon – May it be God’s will.
Amen