“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Behar
16 Iyar 5784/ May 24, 2024 – 31st day of the Omer
Pirkei Avos – Perek 4
MEASURED HURRIEDNESS
A few weeks ago, I was speaking to Shlomo Pomerantz, a devoted
firefighter and friend (and fellow talmid of Rabbi Berel Wein). We were
discussing the challenge of always being on call. Like all devoted emergency
personnel, firefighters must be ready to drop what they are doing, no matter
the time of day or night, to do their noble bidding.
Shlomo pointed out that although firefighters indeed will drop what
they’re doing on a whim, as a rule they never run. You will never see a
firefighter arriving at a fire and immediately running towards the blaze with a
hose. When firefighters arrive at the scene, they must make an initial
assessment of the situation. Although that means the fire will have a little
more time to burn, the firefighters have to contemplate the optimal way and
place to begin their efforts. If they have to enter a building on fire they
have to first decide where the best and safest point of entry is, and they must
know where their point of escape from the blazing inferno will be. Those few
extra moments taken to survey the situation are crucial to their success and
can be the difference between heroism and tragedy.
Mesillas Yesharim (Path of the Just), authored by Rabbi Moshe Chaim
Luzzato, a classic and beloved mussar sefer, lays out a framework and path to
greatness. It is based on a statement in a beraisa by Rabbi Pinchos Ben Yair
(Avodah Zara 20b). The beraisa begins “Torah brings to watchfulness and
watchfulness brings to zerizus.”
In his commentary to Mesillas Yesharim, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski notes
that the word zerizus is not easily translated. Zerizus connotes
an attitude of devotion, enthusiasm, diligence, agility and fervor. It stems
from a burning desire and readiness to do what is right and what will help him
become a better person.
Zerizus is emotional
excitement that fuels achievement. However, it is not necessarily about
hurrying. When one acts too quickly, he can become aggressive and not consider
how he is affecting others.
In a sense, zerizus is like a fire of passion. When managed and directed
properly, that fire can be a source of warmth, light, and joy. But when it is
allowed to run rampant that energy and passion can be damaging.
This idea is also applicable to relationships. When issues arise,
particularly with our children, we have a natural desire to rectify the
situation as quickly as possible so we can get back to our usual routine.
The problem is that “dealing with stuff” properly generally entails
patience to understand what’s really happening before we can help the
situation.
In Shema we state, “V’avadtem meheirah - And you will be
destroyed quickly,” a warning for when we don’t properly adhere to the Torah.
The Piacezner Rebbe offered an additional homiletic explanation: Acting and
reacting out of feeling “meheira”, rushed and harried, can destroy us.
Lag BaOmer celebrates the fire of passion that burned so strongly within
Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that it could not be doused by their
detractors. It’s a fire that resulted from deep love and commitment. That fire
continues to burn within every one of us, passionate yet controlled, ever
eternal.
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and
Chani Staum
stamtorah@gmail.com