The First Question

Below is a synopsis of The First Question 

Imagine it is in the middle of the night. There’s knocking at your door. You open it. On your doorstep is the Angel of Death, who says, “It’s your time to die now.” You negotiate, and you bargain successfully for one more month of life. How would you spend that month? Would you whine, worry, complain, and hold grudges? Would you be frustrated and angry over some ancient disappointment? Would you suffer your way to the end?

Or would you choose to leave the world loving and laughing, growing, and accomplishing? Would you spend those last days with the friends, family, and community you love — giving, connecting, sharing your most honest and intimate emotions? Would you feel that your time needed to be rich and wondrous, rather than scarred by discontent?

Either way, it would be up to you.

We can’t predict the number of days we’ve got left. But we can control what we get out of them.

That is the theme of this uplifting speech, The First Question, and it is also a central subject of High Holiday tefillos — that time is precious, so we should be sure to live fully now!

This point is richly brought to life with humor and entertaining tales, such as:

• The striking story of Charles Adam’s diary
• The question over 4 million people ask Google every month
• Why Kohelet repeats the phrase “a time” 29 times in eight pesukim
• The humorous anecdote about a Chabad Rabbi and his attorney
• The uplifting story of a girl in Tanach who knew how to squeeze the potential out of the moment
• Abraham Lincoln's secret to happiness
• Why G-d didn’t put polar bears in Miami Beach, and dolphins in the Grand Canyon
• The Hayom Yom about G-d’s greatest gift of time
• A moving story about The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The First Question, reminds each of us that we all have opportunities every day that will not come our way again. When they come our way, don’t let them slip away. Be bold, courageous, and seize the moment. If we do this, we will grow each day, accomplish our dreams, and reach the fullness of our destiny today, and every day.

This talk, was written to touch the head and heart of your community and help them recognize the potential G-d has packed within them and around them each day