Throughout Judaism, we have many traditions that bring markers to the points throughout our year. The seasons of the year are marked by holidays and festivals, the months are marked by each Rosh Hodesh or new month, and the moments of our day are broken down to morning and evening through times of day we have the opportunity to pray. Each festival and ritual offers opportunities for it to understand time and make meaning of our lives. We unpacked our understanding of time.
What do we think about the idea of time before the world existed? What do you think the world was like?
- There is no need for time if you don’t have people around.
- Earth wasn’t there and there was just the universe all around and God was in it, and God decided to create the Earth and have a place to be.
Kohelet states: “As long as there was only God, there had been no need to create “Time.” Once the process of creation had begun, we find “evening” and “morning.” These are pivotal points against which events can be measured, can be timed. The concepts of “before” and “after” came into existence once there had been a bereshit, a “beginning.” The term zeman, season, refers to time as a general framework for events, the term eyt, “time” as a specific time frame for clearly defined happenings. “
– Akedat Yitzhak 58.39 – 59.13
We wondered about the idea of creating time and asked, “Is time something that we can even make? What do people mean when they say they’re “making time for something?”
- I can create a time for lunch and a time for bedtime, but not that I can do to make everyone else follow it
- I’ve heard someone say “I made time for this” because my parents are doctors, they say “I need to reschedule this!” You can make a couple of people follow your time but not the whole world.
Are we even able to have an idea of what things would be like without time? What kind of world would that look like?
- It would be hard, you wouldn’t know what time it was, you could wake up at 2pm, time is important because let’s say you didn’t know what time it was and you ate lunch, dinner and breakfast at the same hour.
- on Zoom you need to know what time it is so you don’t miss your classes.
On Thursday, we looked at the Jewish calendar. What made it different from the one that we use in the rest of secular society?
- We use days like Shabbat to make sure we get to relax at the end of the week.
- I have a special moment three times every day where I like the things around me.
When we think about what moments on our calendar are meaningful for us throughout the Jewish year, we discussed some of our favorites. What is a time of the year that you look forward to, but it becomes special because it only happens once a year?
- When it’s Hannukah I like to get some gifts and some candy.
- I’m excited for Hannukah because it’s a time I get to spend with my family and we all get to light the candles together.
- Every year i have my birthday so i drew a calendar, i feel older, happy, excited,
Time becomes special when we give it meaning. When it comes to filling in the Jewish calendar, the cycle continues over and over again, making sure that we are always looking forward to the next moment we get to make our time special.