Shmirat HaZman (Guarding Time): Difference between revisions

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== In the Sources ==

The demand to guard time is based on the verse: "Days were formed and one of them is His", which means that every Jew has an exact number of days given to him to live, according to the mission placed upon his soul to accomplish in this world. If he loses even a single moment – he diminishes the overall task placed upon him, since a moment that is lost does not return.

The demand to guard time is based on the verse: "Days were formed and one of them is His<ref>Tehillim: 139:16</ref>", which means that every Jew has an exact number of days given to him to live, according to the mission placed upon his soul to accomplish in this world<ref>The Tzedek's commentary on the verse (Yahel Or)</ref>. If he loses even a single moment – he diminishes the overall task placed upon him, since a moment that is lost does not return.

In Pirkei Avot, Chazal instruct us not to postpone things for another time: "Do not say 'When I am free I will study' – perhaps you will never be free," and "If not now, when?!"

The great early sages expressed this concept in the saying: "A person worries about losing his money, but does not worry about losing his days. His money does not help and his days do not return".

The great early sages expressed this concept in the saying: "A person worries about losing his money, but does not worry about losing his days. His money does not help and his days do not return"<ref>Sefer HaChaim by the Maharal's brother</ref>.

This guidance is not merely good conduct, but is also ruled as halacha that when a person has utilized all his time for learning, and during the day had only one moment of idleness – this is considered a severe transgression of bitul Torah, and Chazal applied to him the verse "For he has despised the word of Hashem... that soul shall be cut off".

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 == In the Sources ==
-The demand to guard time is based on the verse: "Days were formed and one of them is His", which means that every Jew has an exact number of days given to him to live, according to the mission placed upon his soul to accomplish in this world. If he loses even a single moment – he diminishes the overall task placed upon him, since a moment that is lost does not return.
+The demand to guard time is based on the verse: "Days were formed and one of them is His<ref>Tehillim: 139:16</ref>", which means that every Jew has an exact number of days given to him to live, according to the mission placed upon his soul to accomplish in this world<ref>The Tzedek's commentary on the verse (Yahel Or)</ref>. If he loses even a single moment – he diminishes the overall task placed upon him, since a moment that is lost does not return.
 In Pirkei Avot, Chazal instruct us not to postpone things for another time: "Do not say 'When I am free I will study' – perhaps you will never be free," and "If not now, when?!"
-The great early sages expressed this concept in the saying: "A person worries about losing his money, but does not worry about losing his days. His money does not help and his days do not return".
+The great early sages expressed this concept in the saying: "A person worries about losing his money, but does not worry about losing his days. His money does not help and his days do not return"<ref>Sefer HaChaim by the Maharal's brother</ref>.
 This guidance is not merely good conduct, but is also ruled as halacha that when a person has utilized all his time for learning, and during the day had only one moment of idleness – this is considered a severe transgression of bitul Torah, and Chazal applied to him the verse "For he has despised the word of Hashem... that soul shall be cut off".