In Parshat Emor: Count the Days (page 13), Rav Avigdor Miller asks rhetorically:
What if you only had 60 seconds left to live, chas v’shalom?
How could you best utilize those 60 seconds?
Then he encourages us to apply this lesson at least once a day, making that day entirely different—with only 60 seconds.
So here’s the exercise on how to make 60 seconds the most meaningful moments of your life:
What if you only had 60 seconds left to live, chas v’shalom?
How could you best utilize those 60 seconds?
Then he encourages us to apply this lesson at least once a day, making that day entirely different—with only 60 seconds.
So here’s the exercise on how to make 60 seconds the most meaningful moments of your life:
Seconds 1-10
- Think or say some version of the following:
“There’s a Borei who created the universe out of nothing and that means that there’s nothing that has any intrinsic existence except for Hashem.
"And He created me as well.
"Hashem Echad! He’s the only thing that matters to me.
"And He gave me this great kindness that for the following 50 seconds, I can think about Him and achieve the prime purpose of my being here: The Purpose of Recognizing the Borei."
Seconds 11-50
- Think or say some version of the following:
“So for the next 40 seconds, I am going to become more and more aware of You and fulfill my purpose here.
"I’m looking outside at the setting sun and I know what You’re saying to me Hashem; time is passing by.
"So I express now my gratitude to You Hakadosh Baruch Hu for everything You’ve given me: I love You Hashem, and I speak to You, my King, my Creator, and I express my gratitude to You for the beautiful world You made for me.
"Thank You for my eyes and my kidneys and my feet and I especially thank You for making me part of Your Chosen People.”
Seconds 51-60
- Think or say some version of the following:
“I thank You, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Who has given me this great opportunity to count the seconds in this world and achieve my purpose in this world of thinking about You.”
Rav Miller then concludes with the following sunny thoughts:
"And then time is up; you go out of this world having achieved your purpose. Yesh koneh olamo b'sha'ah achat - 'A person can become great in only one minute' - only that you have to know how to make that minute count."
Rav Miller reminds us that we needn’t only do this exercise during quiet moments alone. We can also do this while hanging onto a subway handle, walking down the street, or while stirring a pot.
"A person can live his whole life without ever doing this, which is a big mistake because a primary reason for our existence is to do the above."
Now that Rav Miller has taught us how to do it, he sends us off with fond wishes:
“So now you can go out into the world for many more minutes and live successfully.”
Thank you once again to Toras Avigdor for making Rav Avigdor Miller's material so widely available at:
Toras Avigdor – Authentic Torah Thought for Life
Toras Avigdor – Authentic Torah Thought for Life
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