Time to Act

24 Adar II 5782

“A woman who shall conceive” (Vayikra 12:2)

“There are three partners in man: G‑d, his father and his mother. His father supplies the white seed, out of which are formed the child’s bones, sinews and nails, the brain in his head and the white in his eye. His mother supplies the red seed, out of which is formed his skin, flesh, hair and blood, and the black of his eye. And G‑d gives him spirit and breath, beauty of features, eyesight, the power of hearing, the ability to speak and to walk, understanding and discernment. When his time comes to depart from the world, G‑d takes away His part, and leaves the parts of his father and his mother with them.” (Talmud, Niddah 31a)

“Similarly with regard to kavanah in prayer, the recital of Shema and its blessings and in other blessings, where, through one’s kavanah in them, he attaches his thought and intellect to G‑d.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 38)

The quality of life-force in every person originally stems from G‑d Himself. It is only right that we apply this life-force in an undivided manner to blessings and prayer any time we are about to enjoy from G‑d’s creation and at fixed times throughout the day. Being that G‑d can take “His part” away at any time, we should thank him constantly for extending to us “spirit and breath, beauty of features, eyesight, power of hearing, ability to speak and walk, understanding and discernment” and we should seek to use them only in a way that will exalt and draw down His presence into the world.

“The dead cannot praise the Lord, nor any who descend into the silence of the grave.” (Tehillim 115:17)

The time to act is now. Only when we are part of the physical world can we still affect it in an active way, to turn it into a dwelling place for Hashem and to correct the part we were tasked with when our soul descended into the world.