Think there’s never enough time in your day for everything you want to accomplish? Think again! In The 25th Hour, an unusual blend of Torah hashkafah, chizuk, and practical ideas, Rabbi Dov Keilson, Mashigach Ruchani of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, shows us how to maximize our time.

And, busy as he is, he even found the time (!) to speak with us about his new book.

AS: It’s a fascinating topic: time. What made you decide to write a book about it?

RDK: Time is something that has been on my mind for years; it truly mesmerizes me with its mysteriousness and its power. And I felt the best way to really delve into it would be to write about it.

AS: The book is divided into daily readings. Why did you choose this format?

RDK: One reason was to make it easier to learn the techniques. And a second reason was to show the greatness of each day by revealing how much a person can accomplish in one day!

AS: Time is, indeed, a precious gift. Yet nowadays no one seems to have enough. Why is that — and what can we do about it?

RDK: I believe that the reason people don’t seem to have enough time is only because they are not maximizing the time they already have. When one truly maximizes and keeps in perspective clearly what he is supposed to do and when he is meant to do it, he will find time for everything.

AS: What are some benefits of understanding the value of every minute of life?

RDK: When a person appreciates a minute of life, it will open to him a world to whichthat he did not have a connection before. The lethargy and laziness in regard to doing mitzvos, and wasting and killing time both stem from not appreciating how much opportunity one has in one moment in this world. If a person would constantly maintain awareness of how short life is, and how much eternity he can acquire in each and every second of life, he would have a much more fulfilling existence.