Dear readers,

Time is precious. Like diamonds, we count our minutes. We tally up how much time we sleep at night (never enough), how much time we devoted to our clients at the office (never too much) and how much time we lost to traffic on our commute home (always too much). Unlike jewels, time cannot be hoarded. Hold onto the moment without using it, and you have lost it forever. Spend it wisely, and you will have been enriched.

This week, we read how the entire nation of Israel waited one week for an elderly woman who was recovering from leprosy. She was Miriam, Moses’ older sister. A week is an awfully long time for a nation of millions to stay in one place. But it was time well spent. As a small child, Miriam had waited by the banks of the Nile River watching her baby brother float among the reeds. The little boy whom she guarded so zealously grew up to be Moses, the teacher of Israel. She waited for her brother, and they waited for her.

We all have people to whom we owe debts of gratitude. Many of them are older than ourselves. So spend some time with an older relative, teacher, neighbor or friend. Grab the moment and spend it wisely.

Enjoy your time spent reading!

Menachem Posner,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team