Don’t Be Cheap… Put in the Quarter

You’re driving around in circles looking for a parking spot when you finally see one right in front of the grocery store to which you need to go. You speed up to the spot, making sure that no one else snatches it. You pull over, park the car, and turn off the engine. You take a quarter out of your pocket, walk over to the parking meter and see that you have two minutes left (this is before the Muni Meter days). “Should I put the quarter in?” you ask yourself. “I can go in and out of the store in two minutes.”

And so, you run into the store, grab the “red” milk your wife asked for, and take a quick glance to make sure your car is okay. You grab some other items, wait on line, and quickly pay the $8.69 that you owe. Then, just as you step outside, there he is: The traffic officer is writing a ticket custom-made just for you. “But sir, just listen to me,” you plead with the officer. “I was just trying to get some change!” (Yeah, right.) The officer looks at you for a moment, pretends you don't exist (can’t blame him), and continues on with the ticket.

What exactly is going through your mind at this moment? If you were a wise individual then you would think about how foolish you were for not feeding the meter. You would begin to regret your mistake and promise that you would never do such a thing again; it simply isn’t worth it. After all, that $35 ticket equals 140 quarters!

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the recipe for teshuvah, repentance. Everyone sins. After all, we’re only human. But what is your reaction to the sin? Do you just move on with your life or do you stop and think about how foolish it was for you to commit it? You must realize, all the pleasures of this world are nothing in comparison to what awaits us in the Next World. Therefore, after throwing an anger tantrum at home or doing anything that isn’t “kosher” by Torah standards, our first reaction should be: “Why did I do this? I better make sure this doesn’t happen again!”

Here we are, during the holiest days of the Jewish calendar. We must all take the opportunity to reflect on our past year and think of ways to improve ourselves in the upcoming year. Let’s not remain stagnant. Just like we all look to move forward in our financial lives, we must all move forward in our spiritual lives. Join some of the many learning programs and lectures that are taking place throughout the community. But don’t just come alone; bring a friend or two along! You are sure to be inspired.

Yaniv Meirov is operations manager of the Chazaq organization, which has been igniting and developing the spiritual spark of thousands in the New York metropolitan area since 2006. He is very involved in many communal projects and is a board member in six community organizations. He may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.