The Stoic Jew

Teach Us to Count Our Days (Seneca Letter #1: On Using and Wasting Time, Part 3)

February 11, 2021 Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss
The Stoic Jew
Teach Us to Count Our Days (Seneca Letter #1: On Using and Wasting Time, Part 3)
Show Notes

In today’s episode we examine Seneca’s statements about wasting time in light of a pasuk in Tehilim 90 (a.k.a. Tefilah l’Moshe), as explained by the Ibn Ezra. The difference between these two seemingly similar messages reveals a major difference between Stoicism and Judaism.
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Seneca – Letter #1: On Using and Wasting Time (excerpt)
What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily?


Click here to access the full text of Seneca's Letter.
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Other Sources:
-  Ibn Ezra – Tehilim 90:12
-  Ibn Ezra – Koheles 3:11
-  Thoreau: Walden
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If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.
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Stoic texts:
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Letters from a Stoic Master (Seneca)
The Discourses of Epictetus
The Enchiridion (Handbook) of Epictetus
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