Week 2: Seven Habits
Day 10: Habit #3 – Put First Things First
Habit 3, “Put first things first,” is about harmony or balance, which is the essence of the corresponding Sefirah of Tiferet.
Stephen Covey on Habit #3:
“To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There’s no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it’s all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities. Habit 1 says, “You’re in charge. You’re the creator.” Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or mental, creation. ‘Beginning with the End in Mind’ is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together.”
Habit 3 is about life management as well–your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. What are “first things?” First things are those things you, personally, find of most worth. If you put first things first, you are organizing and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you established in Habit 2.
You can think of it like this:
Habit 1 – I am the Programmer.
Habit 2 – I write the Program.
Habit 3 – I execute the Program.
With this in mind, Jacob was not only the balance between the Abraham and Isaac, he was also the one to ‘execute to program’ in terms of having the 12 sons who would go forth with Hashem’s plan – to bring Torah into the world.
Considering all of the above, it is no wonder Jacob is viewed in Torah literature as a messianic figure.
Here is a great article from Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh that discusses the 3 patriarchs and their characteristics: http://www.inner.org/…/begi…/lessons-from-the-patriarchs.php