The “days” of Yaakov’s death drew near. A person does not die over a period of days; he dies in a moment. The Zohar wonders what is the meaning of the “days of death”? The Zohar explains that when the time for a person to pass from this world arrives, all of his days (which he has lived) are calculated and assessed. Each day that was spent in the service of Hashem, committed to mitzvah observance, Torah study and performance of acts of lovingkindness – is considered a day worthy of being counted. Other days, which are found lacking in these qualities, are isolated and not included in the “day count.” The days of the righteous, which the Torah aptly describes as days of “drawing near,” refer to those days that involve a connection with the Creator. Each and every one of these days is considered worthy of being presented to Hashem.
Each of us is granted a certain amount of time/days to spend on this world. We are to fill those days with mitzvos. Days filled with sin are discarded. They have no value; they are not worth saving. Furthermore, a wasted day is not wasted for one day – it is wasted forever, for eternity. There is a flipside to this. When a person utilizes a day properly to connect with Hashem, when his time is used wisely for the true purpose of his creation, it will be accredited to his eternal account in Olam Habba.
We can go through life merely existing, and at the end of the day, we will have nothing to show for our existence. A long life is not measured by age, but by how many actual days we have accrued. Living without accruing days is like earning money and allowing it to fritter away in the wind.
