Rabbi Sonja K. Pilz, "Savlanut--To Be Patient and to Love," in Block, Rabbi Barry H.. The Mussar Torah Commentary: A Spiritual Path to Living a Meaningful and Ethical Life (p. 229). CCAR Press.
SAVLANUT (סַבְלָנוּת) means “patience,” we read in the dictionary. Savlanut means “love,” I often think. Without savlanut, love dies. In fact, the very root of the word savlanut—ס-ב-ל—bears a number of meanings....
Our entire Tanach and all its midrashic expansions may be seen an allegorical story of a people who are seeking and yearning to find their way into an intimate relationship with God; hoping, dreaming, imagining, and believing that God does the same; that God is waiting for us to find our way to love, patience, justice, intimacy, and trust. The main threat to this biblical love story seems to be a lack of patience—often from God’s side and sometimes from the side of the people.
SAVLANUT (סַבְלָנוּת) means “patience,” we read in the dictionary. Savlanut means “love,” I often think. Without savlanut, love dies. In fact, the very root of the word savlanut—ס-ב-ל—bears a number of meanings....
Our entire Tanach and all its midrashic expansions may be seen an allegorical story of a people who are seeking and yearning to find their way into an intimate relationship with God; hoping, dreaming, imagining, and believing that God does the same; that God is waiting for us to find our way to love, patience, justice, intimacy, and trust. The main threat to this biblical love story seems to be a lack of patience—often from God’s side and sometimes from the side of the people.
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe
What is patience? The patient person is exactly like someone who is carrying a heavy package. Even though it weighs upon him, he continues to go upon his way and doesn't take a break from carrying it. The same is true in all the relationships that are between people: we see and hear many things that are not according to our will and still we continue to be friends.
What is patience? The patient person is exactly like someone who is carrying a heavy package. Even though it weighs upon him, he continues to go upon his way and doesn't take a break from carrying it. The same is true in all the relationships that are between people: we see and hear many things that are not according to our will and still we continue to be friends.
R. Alan Morinis
The Hebrew term for patience is 'savlanut.' It shares its linguistic root with 'sevel' which means suffering and 'sabal' which means a porter. What could these three words possibly share in common? The answer is that being patience means bearing the burden of your suffering. You tell yourself that I can bear these feelings on my inner-shoulders. holding them aloft and not crumbling under their weight.
The Hebrew term for patience is 'savlanut.' It shares its linguistic root with 'sevel' which means suffering and 'sabal' which means a porter. What could these three words possibly share in common? The answer is that being patience means bearing the burden of your suffering. You tell yourself that I can bear these feelings on my inner-shoulders. holding them aloft and not crumbling under their weight.
(יז) וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֹתָם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָת֖וּר אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם עֲל֥וּ זֶה֙ בַּנֶּ֔גֶב וַעֲלִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־הָהָֽר׃ (יח) וּרְאִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־הָעָם֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ הֶחָזָ֥ק הוּא֙ הֲרָפֶ֔ה הַמְעַ֥ט ה֖וּא אִם־רָֽב׃ (יט) וּמָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ הֲטוֹבָ֥ה הִ֖וא אִם־רָעָ֑ה וּמָ֣ה הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהֵ֔נָּה הַבְּמַֽחֲנִ֖ים אִ֥ם בְּמִבְצָרִֽים׃ (כ) וּמָ֣ה הָ֠אָ֠רֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָ֨ה הִ֜וא אִם־רָזָ֗ה הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּ֥הּ עֵץ֙ אִם־אַ֔יִן וְהִ֨תְחַזַּקְתֶּ֔ם וּלְקַחְתֶּ֖ם מִפְּרִ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהַ֨יָּמִ֔ים יְמֵ֖י בִּכּוּרֵ֥י עֲנָבִֽים׃
(17) When Moses sent them to scout the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb and on into the hill country, (18) and see what kind of country it is. Are the people who dwell in it strong or weak, few or many? (19) Is the country in which they dwell good or bad? Are the towns they live in open or fortified? (20) Is the soil rich or poor? Is it wooded or not? And take pains to bring back some of the fruit of the land.”—Now it happened to be the season of the first ripe grapes.
(כז) וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַ֠ם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃ (כח) אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃ (כט) עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּ֠י וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וְעַ֖ל יַ֥ד הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (ל) וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃ (לא) וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (לב) וַיֹּצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכׇל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת׃ (לג) וְשָׁ֣ם רָאִ֗ינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
(27) This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (28) However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there. (29) Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.” (30) Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (31) But the other men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we.” (32) Thus they spread calumnies among the Israelites about the land they had scouted, saying, “The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are of great size; (33) we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.”
Rabbi Sonja K. Pilz,
In our Torah portion, God expects the people to be both brave and trusting, and when they are not, God reacts with angry disappointment. God punishes the spies and the people for being anxious and hesitant. However, Mussar defines savlanut not only as a character trait, but as a practice of endurance over time. Like love, patience can only become manifest in time—what good would it be if we were patient or loving for exactly a second? Mussar teaches patience—patience both with ourselves and with others: The patience it takes to forgive ourselves our own anxieties and paralyzing doubts, and the terrible consequences those might unfold in our lives. The patience it takes to postpone and adjust our visions. The patience it takes to perceives ourselves and others clearly. The patience it takes to assess and accept reality, including our fears, and the time we need to become more faithful and trusting. Had God loved more, had God been patient . . . maybe then, God would fully forgive the fearful Israelites. Maybe then God would understand that the divine desire to conquer the Land—NOW!—and to begin a new era of Torah’s laws—NOW!—cannot be fulfilled by this assemblage of anxious former slaves—and that fulfilling God’s vision might not even be their wish! Maybe God would learn then that building trust takes time—and so does learning to love. Maybe then God would seize God’s pain and disappointment with patience and would begin the slow and loving task of teaching a people how to trust.
In our Torah portion, God expects the people to be both brave and trusting, and when they are not, God reacts with angry disappointment. God punishes the spies and the people for being anxious and hesitant. However, Mussar defines savlanut not only as a character trait, but as a practice of endurance over time. Like love, patience can only become manifest in time—what good would it be if we were patient or loving for exactly a second? Mussar teaches patience—patience both with ourselves and with others: The patience it takes to forgive ourselves our own anxieties and paralyzing doubts, and the terrible consequences those might unfold in our lives. The patience it takes to postpone and adjust our visions. The patience it takes to perceives ourselves and others clearly. The patience it takes to assess and accept reality, including our fears, and the time we need to become more faithful and trusting. Had God loved more, had God been patient . . . maybe then, God would fully forgive the fearful Israelites. Maybe then God would understand that the divine desire to conquer the Land—NOW!—and to begin a new era of Torah’s laws—NOW!—cannot be fulfilled by this assemblage of anxious former slaves—and that fulfilling God’s vision might not even be their wish! Maybe God would learn then that building trust takes time—and so does learning to love. Maybe then God would seize God’s pain and disappointment with patience and would begin the slow and loving task of teaching a people how to trust.
What happens when we don't have enough Savlanut?
What happens when we have too much?
What happens when we have too much?
Alan Morinis, Everyday Holiness (p55-56). Shambhala.
I’d be remiss not to point out right at the outset that there are circumstances where we should not be patient and where patience is not a virtue. When confronted with injustice or the needs or suffering of another person or other situations where our actions could make a difference, we have no business patiently taking our time. Patience comes into play when it is our own burden we are bearing, or when there really is no course of action available to us at that moment to alleviate the situation.
I’d be remiss not to point out right at the outset that there are circumstances where we should not be patient and where patience is not a virtue. When confronted with injustice or the needs or suffering of another person or other situations where our actions could make a difference, we have no business patiently taking our time. Patience comes into play when it is our own burden we are bearing, or when there really is no course of action available to us at that moment to alleviate the situation.
Alan Morinis
Patience doesn’t mean that we become passive. We still need to make a genuine effort to set the pace and trajectory of our lives, but we don’t need to react to every delay or deflection as if it were a denial, whether that means a denial of our selves or a denial by God. In those moments when I am good at being patient, I live in the here and the now, without straining against reality. I walk a middle path, not leaning to the one extreme of being inactive and fatalistic—because that way I negate the powers I do have, limited though they might be—nor veering to the other, where impatience reigns.
Patience doesn’t mean that we become passive. We still need to make a genuine effort to set the pace and trajectory of our lives, but we don’t need to react to every delay or deflection as if it were a denial, whether that means a denial of our selves or a denial by God. In those moments when I am good at being patient, I live in the here and the now, without straining against reality. I walk a middle path, not leaning to the one extreme of being inactive and fatalistic—because that way I negate the powers I do have, limited though they might be—nor veering to the other, where impatience reigns.
What gifts can balanced Savlanut give us?
Rabbi Benjamin Ehrenfeld
Last week I had the privilege of experiencing the removal of all four wisdom teeth and one extra tooth that had grown behind one of my top front teeth. The entire experience has been a test of patience.. . . Upon arriving home, the first day was filled with moments in which I attempted to act as if I were one step ahead of the recovery process at all times…I was impatient. It is completely understandable to be impatient when you’re recovering from a surgical procedure. Our bodies are not used to having things taken out of them and/or having new things put into them. Nevertheless, acting out of impatience when your body is trying to recover can actually increase the time necessary for recovery. In other words, it is counterproductive. Once I began to behave patiently with my body, my recovery process began to accelerate dramatically. It’s still a little uncomfortable. I’m looking forward to apples, crunchy raw vegetables, and chips + salsa again. . . . It is my prayer that learning to be patient with my body was a mini-training to improve my ability to be patient with others. There is very little that can be accomplished trying to force any living thing to move before it’s ready. Often, you’ll spend longer in the argument about the forcing than you would have if you were just a little more patient. May this be a season in which we can all get a little better at being patient about those things over which we have no control.
Last week I had the privilege of experiencing the removal of all four wisdom teeth and one extra tooth that had grown behind one of my top front teeth. The entire experience has been a test of patience.. . . Upon arriving home, the first day was filled with moments in which I attempted to act as if I were one step ahead of the recovery process at all times…I was impatient. It is completely understandable to be impatient when you’re recovering from a surgical procedure. Our bodies are not used to having things taken out of them and/or having new things put into them. Nevertheless, acting out of impatience when your body is trying to recover can actually increase the time necessary for recovery. In other words, it is counterproductive. Once I began to behave patiently with my body, my recovery process began to accelerate dramatically. It’s still a little uncomfortable. I’m looking forward to apples, crunchy raw vegetables, and chips + salsa again. . . . It is my prayer that learning to be patient with my body was a mini-training to improve my ability to be patient with others. There is very little that can be accomplished trying to force any living thing to move before it’s ready. Often, you’ll spend longer in the argument about the forcing than you would have if you were just a little more patient. May this be a season in which we can all get a little better at being patient about those things over which we have no control.
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin Published by Shaar Press
The essence of patience is to live in the present. We are impatient because we want to be in the future faster than reality will take us there. Since we will generally be in the exact same place whether we will experience patience or impatience it makes sense to choose to be patient. Every time you see someone who is impatient, you have a heaven-sent opportunity to learn patience. Impatience can look ridiculous. Why is this person so impatient just because something is taking a few seconds longer than he would have wished? When you witness the ugliness of impatience, increase your resolve to master the beauty of patience. What is the very first piece of wisdom cited in Ethics of the Fathers? It is to be patient when judging. This speaks volumes for the importance of patience. A judge who is called upon to render a decision needs to obtain a thorough picture of a situation. The reality of a situation can be very different from what it appeared to be at first. The more information that is gathered, the more likely that an accurate judgment will be reached. This process takes patience. What is true for judges is true for all of us. We are all judges when it comes to judging other people in our minds. Before judging someone negatively, ask yourself, “Have I gathered enough data to be certain that my judgment is accurate?” The answer will usually be, “No.” Be Patient. Don’t pass judgment until you have gathered all the relevant information.... Be patient when making your decisions. Think first. Weigh the data carefully. Your patience in making these judgments is a wise move.
The essence of patience is to live in the present. We are impatient because we want to be in the future faster than reality will take us there. Since we will generally be in the exact same place whether we will experience patience or impatience it makes sense to choose to be patient. Every time you see someone who is impatient, you have a heaven-sent opportunity to learn patience. Impatience can look ridiculous. Why is this person so impatient just because something is taking a few seconds longer than he would have wished? When you witness the ugliness of impatience, increase your resolve to master the beauty of patience. What is the very first piece of wisdom cited in Ethics of the Fathers? It is to be patient when judging. This speaks volumes for the importance of patience. A judge who is called upon to render a decision needs to obtain a thorough picture of a situation. The reality of a situation can be very different from what it appeared to be at first. The more information that is gathered, the more likely that an accurate judgment will be reached. This process takes patience. What is true for judges is true for all of us. We are all judges when it comes to judging other people in our minds. Before judging someone negatively, ask yourself, “Have I gathered enough data to be certain that my judgment is accurate?” The answer will usually be, “No.” Be Patient. Don’t pass judgment until you have gathered all the relevant information.... Be patient when making your decisions. Think first. Weigh the data carefully. Your patience in making these judgments is a wise move.
Avot De-Rabbi Natan, Chapter 6
How did Rabbi Akiva start out? They said: he was forty years old and had never studied anything. Once he stood at a well. He said, "Who engraved this stone?" They told him, "[It was] the water, which drips upon it every day." And they said to him, "Akiva, are you not familiar [with the verse,] 'As the waters wear away the stones'?" On the spot, Rabbi Akiva made the following deduction: If something soft [like water] could chisel its way through something hard [like stone], then surely the words of Torah, which are as hard as iron, can penetrate my heart, which is flesh and blood!" Immediately, he returned to studying Torah.
How did Rabbi Akiva start out? They said: he was forty years old and had never studied anything. Once he stood at a well. He said, "Who engraved this stone?" They told him, "[It was] the water, which drips upon it every day." And they said to him, "Akiva, are you not familiar [with the verse,] 'As the waters wear away the stones'?" On the spot, Rabbi Akiva made the following deduction: If something soft [like water] could chisel its way through something hard [like stone], then surely the words of Torah, which are as hard as iron, can penetrate my heart, which is flesh and blood!" Immediately, he returned to studying Torah.
Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Mibhar HaPeninim (11c poet and Jewish philosopher)
#146 Misfortune may become fortune through patience.
#153 Nothing reduces misfortune like patience.
#146 Misfortune may become fortune through patience.
#153 Nothing reduces misfortune like patience.