The Time We Have 
By Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International

September 12, 2018, Israel

Your annual wake up call

This is a contemplative time of year. We sit in the synagogue and review our deeds of the past year. We sit in the synagogue and notice who is no longer sitting with us, who has passed from this life, his seat is now empty.

Long ago wrote the scholar Moshe son of Maimon

עורו עורו ישנים משינתכם והקיצו נרדמים מתרדמתכם

Wake up, arise oh sleepy ones from your sleep! Arise from your deep slumber. 

Moshe son of Maimon was speaking to us all, wake up and think about your life. Are you doing what you need to be doing? Are you satisfied with the direction your life is taking?

I think of those whose seats are now empty and I wonder whose seat will be empty next year? Who shall live and who shall die. and when they are gone what will we say? I was angry with you so I did not speak with you? I had a grudge, I was insulted?

Recently a conflict was resolved between myself and a student/client/friend. After many attempts on my part he finally reached out to me. There is no greater feeling than to resolve a conflict, a blessing of peace rests upon us. What was the conflict about? Why did it take so long to resolve? All it takes is good will among men to resolve a conflict. We must do this before it is too late.

What does it take, a phone call, an e mail? a brief message saying Hey old pal, lets' put the past behind us and move forward as friends. As the rabbis say it is "not in the heavens", it is here on earth and we all have to power to make this change. All it takes is a phone call, a message.

I sit in the synagogue and I think of all those who are no longer here. I recall our dear friend Anders from Denmark, he sat with me in this synagogue. I recall Gary from Virginia, Dan from England, and Nathan from Germany, our students who passed too young. 

Who shall live and who shall die? but some of us are dead even while we live. Wake up sleep ones, arise from your deep slumber, for the time is now. 

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