There was much excitement this past year with the discovery
of the Higgs Boson, a very elusive particle that is thought to be one of the
building blocks of all matter, the key particle that gives mass to
everything. The Higgs and other
subatomic particles that scientists ‘see’ as a result of collisions within
colliders may appear for very small fractions of a second. Was it really there? Did we really see it?
The Rabbis teach an idea called ‘chayey sha’ah’, life that
exists for a brief period of time. Even
life that is temporary, is still life, just as someone who is dying, and whose
existence is also temporary, must still be treated as alive in all respects.
If the temporary life, the light-speed fleeting life of a
subatomic particle, is enough to contribute to scientific theory, then that
instantaneous and nearly invisible life is ultimately significant. Such brevity of existence makes human
life-times seem extraordinary, except when we look to humble turtles and
tortoises who may yawn and keep walking well beyond 100 years.
The incredible potential of a minute, a day, a year, a
decade comes into perspective. We may
not be able to control time but we have the ability to celebrate it and to use
our time to do amazing things. What
amazing thing will we all do today?
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