ENTHUSIASM | ZERIZUT | זריזות
PHRASE/SLOGAN
If not now, when?
Act with urgency yet with timing that is wise
Begin, then sustain, then complete
There is only ever the present moment; beginnings, middles, and ends are full of different present moments
When you feel or hear the call, don't hesitate or over-rationalize but move with the swiftness of fire
Don't let the window of opportunity close
Rather than react reflexively, respond reflectively
If you're quick to respond to email, practice waiting; if you're slow, practice sending immediately
SOUL TRAIT (MIDDAH) SPECTRUM
ETYMOLOGY
- quickness, alertness, agility, active
- awakened energy, enthusiastic action
- enthusiasm, alacrity, zeal
- root - זרז
- to speed up
- gird on, armed
- urged, stimulated
- quick, alert, active
- hurried, hastened
- catalyst, catalyzer
- expedite
- quick-running animal
- to move energetically
- inflammation
- enthusiasm, inspiration
- root - להב
- to flame
- flamed, burned, blazed
- kindled
- glittered
- became enthusiastic, aroused enthusiasm
- to set on fire, inflamed
- inspired, fired with enthusiasm
- to set ablaze
- excited
- blade of a sword or knife
- will, desire, wish, yearning
- root - רצה
- common root with ratz / רוץ, to run
- Nazirite
- consecrated one
- prince
- unpruned vine
- monk
- root - נזר
- separated
- single out
- distance
- estranging
- consecrate
- abstain
- make vow
- dedicated, devoted
- unattended vine
- separated
TORAH
They shall eat the flesh that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs.
You shall not leave any of it over until morning; if any of it is left until morning, you shall burn it.
וְכָכָה֮ תֹּאכְל֣וּ אֹתוֹ֒ מָתְנֵיכֶ֣ם חֲגֻרִ֔ים נַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם וּמַקֶּלְכֶ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֑ם וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ בְּחִפָּז֔וֹן פֶּ֥סַח ה֖וּא לַיהוָֽה׃
This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is a passover offering to the LORD.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֣ח אֶת־הַ֠מַּחְתָּה וְתֶן־עָלֶ֨יהָ אֵ֜שׁ מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ וְשִׂ֣ים קְטֹ֔רֶת וְהוֹלֵ֧ךְ מְהֵרָ֛ה אֶל־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יָצָ֥א הַקֶּ֛צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנָּֽגֶף׃
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the fire pan, and put on it fire from the altar. Add incense and take it quickly to the community and make expiation for them. For wrath has gone forth from the LORD: the plague has begun!”
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַהֲרֹ֜ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ דִּבֶּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיָּ֙רָץ֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹך הַקָּהָ֔ל וְהִנֵּ֛ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנֶּ֖גֶף בָּעָ֑ם וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶֽת־הַקְּטֹ֔רֶת וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־הָעָֽם׃
Aaron took it, as Moses had ordered, and ran to the midst of the congregation, where the plague had begun among the people. He put on the incense and made expiation for the people;
וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃
Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground.
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֥ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם בַּבֹּ֑קֶר אֶל־הַ֨מָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥מַד שָׁ֖ם אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
Early next morning, Abraham hurried to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ בַּבֹּ֡קֶר וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לֶחֶם֩ וְחֵ֨מַת מַ֜יִם וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הָ֠גָר שָׂ֧ם עַל־שִׁכְמָ֛הּ וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ וַתֵּ֔תַע בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃
Early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar. He placed them over her shoulder, together with the child, and sent her away. And she wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֜ם בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַֽיַּחֲבֹשׁ֙ אֶת־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י נְעָרָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיְבַקַּע֙ עֲצֵ֣י עֹלָ֔ה וַיָּ֣קָם וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָֽמַר־ל֥וֹ הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him.
וַיְמַהֵ֧ר אַבְרָהָ֛ם הָאֹ֖הֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מַהֲרִ֞י שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת ל֖וּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂ֥י עֻגֽוֹת׃
Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!”
וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃
Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it.
MUSSAR
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe explains . . . that a mitzvah delayed or done unenthusiastically is not a mitzvah that might go wrong, but one that already has gone wrong. It is a second-rate performance that has already been contaminated. (Chp. 15: Enthusiasm)
The natural tendency of the heart is to be passionate and energetic, so setting free that innate power is more a matter of removing impediments than stoking the fire. (Chp. 15: Enthusiasm)
When you truly realize that you receive gifts every day, and when that recognition really penetrates, then you will be spurred into action to be of service and do good and make good of yourself simply because it has become palpably clear to you that you are holding gifts in your hands. Living with awakened gratitude delivers fuel to make our actions more energetic. (Chp. 15: Enthusiasm)
A rich person may pay to have services rendered, but there is no such bypass of laziness in spiritual matters. If you paid someone to meditate, or pray for you, then the benefit would be theirs because the effort and the experience are theirs as well. In the end, only enthusiasm for your own growth will fuel your transformation. (Week 2, Day 1)
Because humans are intelligent, they can always find endless rationales that support different courses of action. Because of one’s inability to reach a final decision, opportunity passes by, or one’s hesitations delay an enterprise for days or years, thus sacrificing one’s benefits for long periods of time. (Week 28, Day 2)
Following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham sojourns to Gerar, where he has an encounter with the Canaanite king Abimelech. Repeating a defensive action he had taken years earlier (Genesis 12), Abraham presents Sarah to the king as his sister. Acting with too much z’rizut, Abraham quickly thinks to save his own life at the risk of Sarah’s being raped (Genesis 20:2). God appears to Abimelech in a dream, commanding him to restore Sarah to Abraham as his wife (Genesis 20:3–7). Upon awaking, Abimelech rebukes Abraham for putting him in a position of potential sin: “What were you thinking of, that you did this?” (Genesis 20:10). In this situation, Abraham’s own fear and mistrust of the unknown led him to act impetuously and without faith in the power and promise of God, with whom he has only recently engaged. (Vayeira: Z’rizut—Alacrity: The Alacrity of Abraham)
Abraham is indeed an exemplar of z’rizut, from the first encounter in Parashat Lech L’cha, when he leaves all that he has known and lights out for places unknown to the moment of his final breath in Parashat Tol’dot. We may emulate Abraham, striving to engage with our tasks deeply, pursuing our relationships and the world with enthusiasm and veracity, developing the commitment never to give up working for the betterment of all. We can also learn from the times that Abraham’s z’rizut takes him astray. Most importantly, we must cultivate awareness of when we may be allowing the work to take us away from what is most important in our lives. By committing to live in this way, we become better people, which in turn makes our world more sacred, kinder, and more compassionate. . . . When might you need to step back and focus on self, family, or other important relationships? Are you bringing the same level of z’rizut to those relationships as you are to the external work? (Vayeira: Z’rizut—Alacrity: The Alacrity of Abraham)
It is true that one who works to cultivate z’rizut must focus on the task with commitment. There are three aspects to completing a task: the enthusiastic start, the sustaining energy and perseverance to move forward, and finally, moving to successful completion. It’s no wonder that the Sages consider Abraham the paradigm of an ish zariz (“a man of alacrity”) when considering the description of the Akeidah. (Vayeira: Z’rizut—Alacrity: The Alacrity of Abraham)
Is it possible to become so meticulous in one’s practice, so infused with z’rizut, that we lose sight of the things that are most important? (Vayeira: Z’rizut—Alacrity: The Alacrity of Abraham)
וְאֶת־מַתְכֹּ֨נֶת הַלְּבֵנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵם֩ עֹשִׂ֨ים תְּמ֤וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם֙ תָּשִׂ֣ימוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־נִרְפִּ֣ים הֵ֔ם עַל־כֵּ֗ן הֵ֤ם צֹֽעֲקִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר נֵלְכָ֖ה נִזְבְּחָ֥ה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
But impose upon them the same quota of bricks as they have been making heretofore; do not reduce it, for they are shirkers [Pharoah projecting his own laziness as master unto slaves doing all the work]; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God!’