Rabbi Yossi's Blog

Some things come naturally to some people but for others they’re a struggle. And I struggle with time management. I constantly try to squeeze in one extra thing, even though (in the back of my mind) I know that I have to leave now to be punctual. I get easily distracted by something important (though not urgent) that comes up - even while I’m supposed to be working on something else.

And worst of all, I can sometimes find myself down a rabbit hole - usually discovering something interesting and informative - yet completely irrelevant.

The best method that I’ve found for dealing with this is to ensure that I start my day by reviewing my calendar and tasks, and knowing clearly which responsibilities are on today’s schedule. When I do that, I find myself much more focused and less easily derailed.

Yesterday morning I found myself getting very easily distracted and I realized that due to an appointment I had first thing in the morning, I hadn’t reviewed my tasks. Of course, once I did, I realized how woefully behind I was…

Here’s the thing though - this time management solution that I’m describing can only work if I’ve made sure to schedule my day and create a list of tasks. If I hadn’t done that yesterday, I would have had nothing to refocus and reorient myself toward today.

In my experience, when I have a very busy day - packed with work and meetings and classes, and I manage to mostly remain focused and accomplish much of what had needed to be done, at the end of the day I feel good. Perhaps somewhat tired, but my mind feels “intact”.

On the other hand, if I have a very busy day filled with similar activities but without the planning, rather just responding to whatever comes up, aside from getting distracted much more easily, I also feel worse at the end of the day. I feel like I’m chasing my tail, like I’m not accomplishing anything - emotionally worn out.

These time management experiences, I think, reflect life in general. A meaningful life is one that is based on a belief system that we then intentionally live out every single day.

The troubling aspect of this is that while it’s fairly common to plan one’s “professional” day, it is much less common for people to plan their life. You might be able to communicate your company’s missions statement with reasonable accuracy, but do have a personal mission statement?

Obviously you can’t plan every aspect of your life, but some things should not change regardless of where your career takes you or in which city you end up living. It is true that everyone experiences distractions and diversions from what they know to be true and correct. However, if your life is one big experience of “going with the flow” (one of those popular sayings that is often more harmful than helpful), your life can feel like you are perpetually chasing your tail and not accomplishing anything.

This week’s Torah portion begins by emphasizing the fact that our forefather Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years. Our sages tell us that these were the 17 best years of his life (17 is the numerical value of the Hebrew word טוב, good). While a superficial overview of his life would reveal that physically this might have been the case, how does it compute that the saintly Jacob would live his most spiritually satisfying years in Egypt? Egypt is described as being filled with debauchery, not exactly a spiritual oasis.

He was able to accomplish this because he lived with intention. His life was oriented around Torah and it’s guidance; he chose how to live and which things would take priority. He certainly didn’t “go with the flow”.  Therefore, although he was surrounded by some of the lowest behaviors on earth, his life was not affected - in fact, he lived his 17 best years in Egypt.

When our life is lived with intention, nothing can interfere with our ability to create the life we want. Even if we will temporarily veer from that path, we have the foundation to which to return.

One of the most deep and profound narratives of the Torah is the saga of Joseph and his brothers, a pivotal episode of which is found in this week’s Torah portion. Being that the forefathers - as well as Joseph and his brother’s - were righteous, holy and G-d fearing men, the working understanding is that there is much more to the stories than meets the eye.

One of the lesser discussed subplots of this narrative is the difference between the location that Joseph lived his life and that of his brothers. The location also had much effect on the focus of their lives too.

The Torah highlights the fact that our forefathers were shepherds. In addition to their primary line of work being outside the city, they also dwelled outside the main population centers of the time. Joseph, on the other hand, lived in the capital city of the most influential country of his era and eventually became the de-facto leader of the country.

Despite their initial hesitation, Jacob and his sons all moved down to Egypt too. In other words, initially they lived in relative seclusion. Then, following Joseph’s urging, they too moved to the center of society.

If you’ll look closely at Jewish history, you will discover a similar pattern repeating itself. Initially the Jewish people all lived in the Holy Land, with the Temple as their focal point. But then, following the destruction of the Temple, spread out all over the world.

For generations, even while living in all sorts of countries all around the world, the Jewish population stayed together and lived in close knit communities, hardly interacting with their gentile neighbors. Fast forward to today where the majority of Jewish people live and work among people from all walks of life.

(In the Chabad world too, this pattern exists: Initially the headquarters of the movement was in a tiny village called Lubavitch. Today the headquarters of the movement is in New York City, one of the most influential cities in the world and local Chabad Houses continue to be opened in every corner of the globe.)

While interesting to note, there is obviously something more to the story than mere happenstance.

Our role as Jews has always been to positively influence the world. While we may only constitute a tiny fraction of the global population, we have shown that we are up to the challenge. In fact, the bedrock upon which Western civilization is built, is the moral code first outlined in the Torah.

However it’s difficult to influence anybody if you have no contact with them, that is why throughout history G-d has caused events to happen in order to move us closer to the centers of influence.

The questions is, why then does the cycle continue? Why not simply start and stay in the “thick of things”. Why the pattern - separation and insularity, followed by integration - why not stay on the global stage instead of constantly stepping down, only to take center stage again some time later?

In order to be effective in guiding the world around us (while not being affected by the influences of the world), one must have a solid foundation from which to operate. First develop ourselves, then extend what we’ve learned to other’s.

This highlights why it’s integral to provide our children with a Torah true Jewish education from a young age. This provides the foundation for their life and gives them a solid footing from which to influence the world around them.

This principle is also true to each of us, every day of our lives. We should begin the day with a focus on our connection to G-d. Start the day with prayer and meditation, Torah study and a focus on Mitzvah performance - then we have the foundation from which to approach life and be a force for good in our daily interactions.