I know I speak for all of us when I say that summers were longer when we were younger. These days, it seems the snow starts falling again before it has even finished melting. I know moving to Canada extended my winter, but not by that much. This shift is in the mind. Time is relative: the older we get, the faster it moves. Today, I want to suggest a method to slow it down.

I’m not talking about a genetic resequencing to slow down aging. I’m talking about a mental technique that works for millions: slowing down enough to be mindful of each moment.

The Journeys The Torah lists all 42 journeys our ancestors made across the desert (Numbers 33:1–49). If you ask me, the only important journeys were leaving Egypt, arriving at Sinai, and reaching Israel. If you really want to get detailed, fine—include the locations where major events occurred. But every single journey? Why? What for?

If you asked about my day, I’d give you the highlights: I closed a deal, caught up with a friend, or booked a vacation. If I gave you an exhaustive report of every moment, your eyes would glaze over in seconds. I’m sure I can come up with 42 things that happened today, but they aren’t important enough to share. So, why does G-d share them all?

The Journey of Life The Baal Shem Tov taught that these 42 journeys are reflected in our own lives (Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Numbers 33:1). The meaning of each moment is highly personal, but here are possible examples: graduation is our Sinai moment. Marriage is our splitting of the sea. Retirement might be our liberation. The Torah lists the journeys of our ancestors because they are the blueprints for our own.

These 42 journeys repeat themselves daily at the micro level. Speeding by a police car without getting caught? That’s your exodus. Studying Torah is your Sinai. When a........

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