Our sages say that the universe can be viewed in three dimensions: space, time, and soul. These three dimensions are intrinsically connected, so that every object has a place in space, a period in time, and a spiritual significance (soul).
This week's Torah portion includes the first mitzvah of the Torah: counting the months and days according to the lunar calendar. Beyond the specifics of the commandment itself, living according to the Jewish calendar is a mitzvah.
In light of the above, something interesting emerges: the Jewish calendar is not merely "another" way of counting time, but is fundamental to being "in tune" with Jewish life in every sense. Since time, space, and the soul are intertwined and define everything, living according to the Jewish calendar is a way of situating oneself within Judaism as a whole. The names of the months, the special events of each day—from general Jewish holidays like Passover or Sukkot to individual ones like birthdays or death anniversaries—are counted according to the Jewish calendar, not according to "another" calendar.
And the reason is very simple: the lack of one of the three dimensions is not simply a circumstantial lack, but rather it becomes a general lack.
To understand this better, let's go back to school: we all know that a line is defined by two points. If you only have one point, you don't have a line. It's not that you have a line from one point and are missing another—you have nothing! The same is true with Judaism: if you are not in tune with Jewish time, you cannot be in tune with Jewish space or the Jewish soul.
Learning to use Jewish time will help us improve and fill all aspects of our lives with holiness.