“When a Jew prays the morning prayers and says, ‘Give thanks to God, call out His Name, make His deeds known among the nations,’ he does not simply just think about the words. Rather, he envisions himself standing at that very moment before the entire world, face to face, and crying out with all of his strength he declares: ‘Give thanks to God! Are you sleeping?! Call out His name!’” So writes the Piaseczna Rebbe, Rav Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira, in Chovot HaTalmidim, “The Student’s Obligation.”
We are talking about the trait of zerizus, zeal, enthusiasm. Being religious is not simply an intellectual process. It must be done with our entire souls, with our emotions, with our entire neshama, with love, with our entire being.
Some of us are enthusiastic when we go to the gym to exercise, or when we race to work, or when we go on a date for romance, or when we go on vacation. We prepare with excitement and enthusiasm, we leave early and hurry to get the most benefit, we give it our all, with great energy, working hard, not wasting time.
But when it comes to mitzvot, do we have the same enthusiasm or feel the same excitement? When it comes to ritual mitzvot like prayer do we rush to shul and can’t wait to speak with the Creator, to thank Him and plead with Him? Do we feel the great joy of making Shabbos holy, or in wearing tefillin, or do we feel the sacredness of the Seder and the responsibility in teaching its lessons to our children? And when it comes to ethical mitzvot, do we realize what a glorious gift it is to honor our parents or our spouses, or in giving charity, or not getting angry or speaking evil?
“Are you still lying in bed in the morning? God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, is already waiting for you in the yeshiva, to teach you His Torah, with love and joy. Don’t be lazy! Get up quickly, pull yourself together and run to the waiting arms of your Father in Heaven.” So begins another chapter of the Piaseczna Rebbe’s sefer.
When a man realizes as a truth the great value of the mitzvot and the greatness of his responsibility in relation to them, his heart will certainly awaken to the service of God and will not weaken in it. What may, however, strengthen this awakening is looking into all the good things and great wonders that the Holy One, Blessed be He, does. The more one looks into and considers these things, the more he will recognize his great debt to God, who bestows good upon him, and he will be compelled not to be lax or to weaken in his service.
This can be seen in the case of our father, Avraham, in the incident of the binding of Yitzchak. As it is written, “And Avraham arose early in the morning and he saddled his donkey.” Even though it was understandably difficult for him to slaughter his only son, he did the will of the Exalted Creator with zeal, rising early in the morning. One who acts with zeal demonstrates clearly that he loves his Creator.
And the work is enormous. So much to do, so much to accomplish in our short lives. How can one be lazy? Helping unemployed people with their resumes or helping them find jobs; donating blood; visiting the sick in hospitals; comforting mourners at shiva homes; inviting the lonely, the divorced, the widows to our Shabbos tables despite all the extra work involved; packaging mishloach manot for the shul; stopping to help someone with a flat tire; calling and visiting our parents; teaching our children Torah and helping them with their homework; or attempting to help make a proper match between singles. How can one be lazy, when there is so much to do?
By Martin Polack
Martin Polack is a business analyst involved in adult Jewish education.
