Parshah Recovery
Give G‑d Your "Present"

This week's Torah reading speaks about the various offerings that were brought in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Among the sacrifices enumerated are the daily burnt offerings as well as special, additional offerings brought on the Sabbaths, New Moons (Rosh Chodesh) and Festive Days.

When speaking of the daily offering, Scripture enjoins us: "You shall observe to offer it to Me in its appointed time… two each day, a continual offering."

The term "appointed time" in Scripture generally denotes a holiday or other special occurrence. Why then is the daily offering referred to as taking place in an "appointed time"—a term which normally indicates something rare and infrequent? Seemingly, the daily offering has no appointed time; for its time is all the time.

Our lot seems to have a predisposition for spurning the presentIn understanding this curious choice of words, we will uncover a key principle in the service of G‑d that should be familiar to those of us who work a program of recovery.

We often speak about staying in the "here and now." Our lot seems to have a predisposition for spurning the present and preoccupying ourselves with some real or imagined "big event" in the future. Our anticipation of the "big event" may take on divergent forms ranging from idealistic and dreamy expectations to morose and debilitating anxiety. But whether it is with grandiose expectation or disproportionate fear that we anticipate the "big event," one thing is for sure—we have very little interest in living the moment that is right now.

We don't understand those people who "stop and smell the flowers" and extol the simple pleasures of life. Some of us wouldn't recognize a "simple pleasure" if it jumped up and bit us. Looking back on our lives, we may consider how many perfectly lovely moments have we spoiled with our fixation on some payoff whose time had not yet or would never come.

It is no wonder that we needed to drink—not in order to get through life's major episodes but, most often, just in order to get through everyday life. We were either feverishly busy with trying to turn "now" into the "big event," or sulking over the fact that it wasn't. We so wanted that things should always be special, never ordinary. The call to face everyday life was answered only with resentment, procrastination and worry.

Thus we are told that the time for the continual offering – brought twice every single day – is in fact a special time. Any moment that is used as an opportunity to bring an offering before G‑d becomes precious and meaningful.