Before It's Too Late...

This week is Parshas Acharei-Mos Kedoshim. I’ve heard that we can take a very powerful lesson from the name of these two parshios. Acharei Mos, after someone dies, Kedoshim-do we realize how holy and special they were.

This message speaks to me personally. My brother Shalom a”h was niftar in the summer and the following year was my younger brother’s bar mitzvah. His bar mitzvah parshah came out to be…Acharei Mos-Kedoshim. Those two parshios together. Nothing is coincidence. It didn’t just “happen to be” that his bar mitzvah parshah came out this way. And this year, again, when we come to this week’s parshah, we are reminded to take the message.

After Shalom a”h was niftar, we heard so many amazing stories of things he had done that nobody was aware of. Boys in his class and kids from camp mailed letters to our family, each one wrote how Shalom had an impact, how he did something special for them, how he went out of his way to help them. There are so many things he did in private, quietly, doing things to help without letting anybody else know about it. This is what Acharei Mos-Kedoshim comes to tell us. We hear so many things people did-after they already passed away. But we can take the message...

Don’t wait …

Until it’s too late…

To appreciate…

Your friends…

Your family…

Your neighbors…

Your coworkers…

Your teachers…

Your students…

Your parents…

Your siblings…

Is it that important that you have to fight about that? Argue? Get upset at each other? Why don’t you notice the good things, the positive qualities about that person? Take the time to compliment, let them know how much they mean to you!

THIS is the lesson that we can take from the parshah. Appreciate people while they are still alive. Tell them how much they mean to you. Try not to be petty. Try to notice the little things that people do and tell them thank you. Remember that the time that YOU have in this world is limited and use the time to the fullest.

You can make this Shabbos special by remaining focused on what really lasts. Try to make this shabbos meaningful and peaceful!