This week’s Psalm is the sobering one that we say at a shiva house. We are shown the importance of using our time in this world properly, to enhance our spiritual development and prepare ourselves adequately for the next world.
The Psalmist begins by calling to all the people in the world. ‘Hear this all you peoples, give ear all you dwellers of decaying earth. Sons of Adam and sons of man, together rich and poor.’ Both the rich and poor are obsessed by money, the former to make more and keep it, sometimes to simply rot in a bank, and the latter want it even more as they think it will solve all their problems.
But once a person is dead, money does not count, unless it was used for good things such as spending on Jewish items, a Jewish lifestyle and of course giving charity. Otherwise, the money he has collected will be similar to the parable of the person who is stuck in the middle of Africa with just pounds in his pockets. He may have millions of pounds in British currency on him, but he can’t even buy a small bottle of water as he don’t have the right currency for that country.
People must think not only about savings and cash ISA’s etc, but also about our grand spiritual bank account that could be waiting for us one day if we spend our time here wisely.
If we sit and think clearly and realize where our life will eventually end up, perhaps we will enable a much better experience for ourselves on the other side, Amen.

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