Dear Friends:

Mike Zaks, z"l

Mike Zak's, z"l, was a Past President of Tifereth Israel Synagogue,a longtime active and supportive congregant, and a Holocaust survivor. One of his favorite stories was about his arrival in San Diego as a refugee and having to obtain a Social Security card. He asked, "What is Social Security?" He was told that money would be taken out from every paycheck he received and when he turned 65 he would collect retirement.

He said he laughed and told them that he could not think that far ahead. And then, before he knew it, he turned 65 and began collecting checks. "Where had the years gone?" he wondered.

The High Holy Days turn our thoughts to the most important questions about human existence. One of these questions is about the meaning of life and death. As we listen to the words of U-netaneh Tokef, we ask ourselves its question: in the coming year "who will live and who will die?"

We also reflect on its observations about the fragility of human life, "Scripture compares human beings to a broken shard, withering grass, a shriveled flower, a passing shadow, a fading cloud, a fleeting breeze, scattered dust, a vanishing dream." Nothing in life lasts forever; only God is eternal.

In parashat Va-yeilech, Moses informs the Israelites of his impending death. Joshua will lead them into the Promised Land. Moses will die before reaching it. Moses says to the Israelites, "I am today one hundred and twenty years old. I can no longer be active." (Deut. 31:2)

The commentator Kli Chemda questions Moses' use of the word "today." It was not Moses' birthday so the word seems extraneous.What possible meaning could it add to Moses' 

declaration?

Moses

He explains: A wise man once said before he died that all the years of his life now seemed to him as one day. It had all flown by so fast. So it was with Moses. What he wanted to say to the Israelites was that even though he was one hundred and twenty years old, it seemed that his life had passed as quickly as a day.

As one grows older, time seems to move more quickly. One day you are a child, then a husband, a father, a grandfather, and you wonder where the years went. They have passed before you know it.

This knowledge should not sadden or depress us, rather it should inspire us. The knowledge that our years are limited and pass quickly should encourage us to make the most of every minute, hour, day, and year of our lives. We should not waste time, but use time effectively and meaningfully to bring joy, blessings, fulfillment, and happiness to ourselves and those we love.

"Doc" Brown

As we approach Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur this year, we should keep in mind the words of Dr. Emmett Brown: "Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one."

Judy and I wish you a Shana Tova U'metukah, a sweet, healthy, happy, and fulfilling New Year.