Facts in Judaism
If Not Now, When? The Power of Embracing the Present in Torah and Life
What Midlife Crises, the Sinai Revelation, and the Word “Now” Teach Us About Real Spiritual Growth
The Crisis of Waiting: Why “Tomorrow” May Never Come
A common human experience is the desire to grow, improve, change, and reach something greater. This yearning often surfaces during what is popularly known as a “midlife crisis.” Typically occurring in middle age, this crisis is marked by a sense of dissatisfaction and restlessness. People begin to reflect on their past, feel the weight of aging, and confront milestones such as the loss of parents or children leaving home. These transitions can stir feelings of missed opportunities and a sudden urge to redefine purpose, whether in career, relationships, or personal fulfillment.
Yet this kind of internal crisis is not exclusive to midlife. Even young people frequently feel the drive to advance, evolve, and become better versions of themselves. There’s often a desire to shift course, to change direction, not just externally, but internally as well. It’s the universal human impulse to grow, seek meaning, and feel alive with purpose.
But with that longing often comes hesitation. A person may feel the urge to act, yet still tell themselves: “Not now. After the holidays. Once I finish school. Once the kids grow up.” These delays, driven by inertia or spiritual laziness, can stall personal growth indefinitely.
This tendency to procrastinate applies not only to mundane tasks like organizing the house but also, perhaps more profoundly, to our inner development. Many people sincerely want to refine their character and grow closer to Hashem, but postpone the effort again and again. The danger is that every “tomorrow” leads to another, and the moment of change never arrives.
“Now” at Sinai: The Key to Spiritual Transformation
Before the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Torah introduces the event with three verses that culminate in a single, powerful word: “And now, if you will listen to My voice and keep My covenant...” (Exodus 19:4–6). Immediately afterward comes the momentous revelation and the Ten Commandments.
Why the emphasis on “now”? The commentaries explain that “now” is the key to all spiritual growth. The Torah is telling us: You want to move forward? Do it now. Don’t let the passage of time chip away at your resolve. Every meaningful step forward begins not in an ideal future, but in the present moment.
Real commitment to Hashem and Torah means embracing the “now,” even during times of challenge. It’s not about waiting until life gets easier or things are more settled. At any stage, in any condition, a person can, and must, take a step forward. Taking this step in a difficult reality, when we're feeling unsettled, sets the stage for a more powerful acceptance. It means saying: I may be in the desert, but I am still going to take the next step. I may be uncertain, but I will not wait for clarity to act. The present is the only moment we truly have, and it holds infinite potential.
This is why Hillel the Elder famously said: “If not now, when?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14). His words are often understood to mean: Seize the moment, for it will never return. But his message goes even deeper: if you claim you can’t grow spiritually now, because of stress, distractions, or hardship, then when will you? Life is never free of obstacles. The key to spiritual progress lies in learning to move forward despite them.
Receiving the Torah in the Desert: Why Growth Begins in the Middle of the Journey
Parshat Bamidbar is almost always read just before the holiday of Shavuot, the festival of the giving of the Torah. The timing is not incidental. The Torah was given in the desert, far from comfort, stability, or permanence. The Jewish people had not yet entered the Land of Israel. They were in transition, in flux, in motion.
Why did Hashem choose to give the Torah then and there?
Because true acceptance of Torah doesn’t happen when life is neat and organized. It happens in the desert, in the messiness of the human journey. It happens now.
Each life is made up of countless moments. The past is memory, the future is imagination, but the present moment - the now - is life. Those who wait for the perfect moment may never arrive. But those who embrace the now, even in the desert, accept the Torah in the most authentic way.
So let's fight for the moment. Let's not wait until the ideal future arrives. Let us accept the Torah now, in this very moment, and find Hashem, even in the middle of our own personal desert.
