“And I will turn towards you…” (Vayikra 26:9) “And I will set my face against you…” (Vayikra 26:17)

One of the greatest gifts that a person can receive is spare time. It grants us the precious opportunity to “freelance” in our avodas Hashem.

The Chiddushei Harim (Yitzchak Meir Rotenberg-Alter 1799-1866) offers an explanation of the brocho, “And I will turn my face towards you” (26:9). He says that this means Hashem will give us time – and bless us with success in how we use that time.

Consider a simple example: An instruction manual usually states that changing a flat tire takes about 10 minutes. In reality, for most people it takes closer to 20. Some manage it in just 7, others struggle for 30 minutes. When Hashem wants to bless a person, he can arrange that the tire change takes only 7 minutes. This is a great blessing because every extra moment is an opportunity to accomplish more great things.

Rav Noach Weinberg (1930-2009) would illustrate the value of time with the following parable: A man was riding the bus from Jerusalem to Bnei Brak with a thick wad of 100-dollar bills. Every 30 seconds or so, he peeled off a bill and threw it out the window. A fellow passenger asked him, “What are you doing?” and he responded, “I have nothing to do on this trip, so I am using the time to get rid of my money.” To us, this seems insane. We value both time and money, yet here we have a person squandering both at the exact same time.

The point is that money is only truly valuable when used for good. An alcoholic who spends his earnings on liquor may feel a short-term gain, but we all understand that in the bigger picture he is destroying himself. The same principle applies to time. People enjoy vacations where they do light-hearted and silly things, and that can even be positive, as it refreshes them for their regular responsibilities. But someone who spends his entire life in vacation mode is correctly described as, “just wasting his time.”

The question is that the Torah speaks of extra time in both the blessings and the curses. Which is it?

The Beis Yisroel (Yisrael Alter, 1895-1977) explains his great-grandfather’s words by pointing out that in the curses, Hashem also mentions giving us time. He explains that time is neutral – it can be used positively for growth, or just for emptiness. The choice belongs to us.

A story about the Chasam Sofer (Moshe Schreiber 1762 –1839) illustrates this point. The Chasam Sofer would daven a long shemoneh esrei. One of his talmidim davened a much shorter shemoneh esrei. After the talmid realized that this was going to be an ongoing situation, he created a seder for himself to learn shas while waiting for the Chasam Sofer to finish. Eventually he completed all of shas and informed the Chasam Sofer of his accomplishment. The Chasam Sofer’s remark was something we should remember: He cited Chazal (Brochos 54b) “whoever prolongs his prayers has his years extended.” The Chasam Sofer then told his talmid, “You ended up with a short shemoneh esrei plus shas; Hashem will grant me longevity so that I will also be able to complete the shas that you finished.”

Ultimately, what matters most is that we strive to use our time to its fullest potential. Whether finishing shas, doing daf yomi, or davening with kavana, if we do it with heart and soul, Hashem blesses us with success and contentment in this world and the world to come.