Repentance and Time

After understanding the concept of Teshuva, let us go into the definition of its English translation, Repentance. When someone repents on their actions what they are essentially doing is reflecting on their usage of time. Noticing how with every moment we are growing older and nearing our final breath. Once this realization is felt in the heart we come to a simple conclusion, “Our time must be used properly from here on out.” This work too requires much work; learning how to value the time we have and use it wisely, paying attention to our day to day life and seeing what activities take you from your bed all the way back to it. And then comes the hard part of implementing changes by creating minor good deeds throughout the day, and of course setting up a full day where you are going from thing to thing naturally.

Reluctance is a recipe for disaster and you don’t want to implement things that will make you hate the entire path you are on. You came here in order to uplift yourself, add some meaning into your life and feel like you are living your purpose at every second. When someone comes into an interview they know to be prepared. They come in confident with answers to each foreseeable question and know that they must perform well for their future depends on it. Yes, we know that his future is up to Heaven, nevertheless, He created us with the need to feel in control, and that leads us to want to do anything. (We want to feel like we’ve earned our bread and that need is a gift Hashem has given us in our consciousness.) We wish to reach a level where at each moment of our day we are as prepared as at that interview. Which translates into a life where each moment is accepted for the reality it is which comes along with the duties we should perform throughout it, so too do we merit peacefulness as a bonus.

Another point of time is the understanding that it only moves forward. Meaning there is only one excuse for looking back at what we once had, which is, to learn from it. We don’t want to be like Lot’s wife who turned back, questioning her faith whilst still attached to her past. When you see the light before you, when you understand that faith in Hashem is what lies ahead, there is only one purpose in spending time in those areas. We want to learn how to use our time from now on, and this contemplation requires your time as well. The process of contemplation is usually induced by an external force, which means that something happened in life that made you stop and think. Sometimes it may be your kids and other times your financial situation, while in all situations, it is the unrelenting pressure we feel as we try moving forward. For many of us the thing that awakens us is when we find ourselves struggling internally with the goals we’ve set for ourselves.

All of those setbacks, depending on how sensitive we are, will make us take a moment to reflect. And the same can be said for miracles and wonders that suddenly raise up your belief in yourself and in Him. That sudden change of cabin pressure has us click right into sport mode and the wheels of our minds start turning. There is another way of thought induction that comes from an internal source. It is the sound of our soul calling that we hear, and the intrigue of that voice we hear from afar leads us into spaces that are boundless, endless and eternal. 

Each thought we have has a direct connection to the heart. The heart’s job is to interpret its definition and execute its appropriate feeling. When we feel sadness, it is because our heart has understood the meaning that this specific saddening subject offers. Depression works this way and, let this be my little secret to you, so does every belief in our belief system. Think of it as the things under the hood of a vehicle, each component is there for the sake of the car. They are proof to us that we should rely on the wisdom of the engineer. Whoever put this together spent time thinking and pondering, testing and perfecting it, in order for him to set it into simple steps so that even a layman can understand.

The belief system of the human is a whole lot of thought wires connected to the brain on one hand and to the heart on the other. The thoughts that are most visited throughout the day will sway the heart in its direction. We don’t want to be stuck in heartbreak and despair all day, do we? We better learn how to control the time used in our minds in order for us to even get up and try using our time in the world. What are the things that we consume, are they healthy or are they poisonous? Much like with healthy eating habits, and that may be a challenge to many, we have to zoom in on our intake in order for the functions to function properly.

What is the heart calling out for? What’s that voice saying? When we are welcomed into thought through internal or external measures, we must identify through which door we’ve entered. Were we shoved into tears and sadness because somebody yelled at us or was it because we witnessed our first child’s birth? Was it the yearning for love and the desire for more, or did it call out because it feels alone, lost and scared? Either way, a credulous man would seek to find a solution while the cynical would find something that bothers him. So too, much like the calls coming from the inside are from your true essence, your soul, so too when being accosted by a coworker, the reason we take it so hard is because our souls get hurt.

As you see through these lines, all of our problems are in the boundaries of time. Look at it as two bosses telling their employee what to do. Time being the employee, space and matter being on the two sides. Matter and Space pull us into, and out of, reality and give us reasons to think. At times it may be Space who is your best friend, for it is thought and reflection you require in your day, while so many times we realize that thoughts will only get us that far and it is time to take Matters into our own hands, as the verse states in Mishlei 14:23. When we repent we start understanding the value of time and how we are meant to use it properly. Our renewed focus on our inner workings becomes the road to our repented ways.

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Tick Tock is the beat of the heart, Click clack are the steps of our heels, time moves on as quick as a sound, we desire a life of true feels. Not being led by the moments, to be leading is what we wish, every pound of our hearts whispers, grow, create and accomplish. Every minute, every second and instant, to keep this commitment alive, with clarity to stride forward, for my best version to thrive. Not wasting any breathes on the past, just trying to become much better, appreciating the void deep within, describing it letter by letter. Yearning for changes and hope, and the cries we hear at night, we ask of You to say once more, “Let there be light.” The questions enslave us entirely, who am I, and where am I going? Our true essence in reality, who you are, is exactly what you’re doing. It is now and in this moment alone, that you can prove how much you’ve grown.

David Lemmer is an Orthodox Jewish Author and Hypnotherapist. With much honor, to my brethren Israel.