This past week in Lunch and Learn we finished our study of the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is known as a part of the wisdom literature of the Bible. Our purpose in studying this book for the past two months was to see what wisdom it could present to us on how to deal with our current situation.
In the end, one of the biggest takeaways from the book is to live each day to its fullest. Ecclesiastes warns us that we do not know what tomorrow or even the evening may bring. Therefore, we need make the most of each moment in the present.
If the past few months have taught us anything it is that we cannot predict nor control the future. What we can do, however, is make the most of our present. There is an old adage from the Mishnah which says, “Do not say I will study when I have time, for you may never have time”.
Although we are not able to do exactly what we want right now, we should make the most of what we can do in the ways we are able to practice. We might not be able to hug our friends or wrestle with grandkids the way we once did. However, this does not mean that we should hold back from enjoying their company, even if it is not exactly as we want it.
Chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes says:
6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both alike shall be good.
To put it another way, and to quote a more contemporary philosophy from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.“
Shabbat Shalom
