Just do IT!

Why is it so essential to our lives?

The first instance in the Torah is when we see Avraham waiting desperately for guests. When he does finally see them he rushes to bring them into his home. He rushes to get the food ready. He knows that greeting guests is like greeting the Shechina and you don't waste time when it comes to such things! So the posuk tells us about Avraham and how he ran to do the mitzva.

Next we see Eliezer ran toward Rivka and Rivka hurried to feed the camels. When Eliezer saw this midda of zrizut in Rivka he knew that she was the one.

Avraham woke up early to do עקידת יצחק . This is one of the greatest merits that we have as a nation. Avraham did not wait that morning to go. He did not delay or procrastinate. He woke up early and off he went.

The Midrash tells us about Nachum Ish Gam Zu. He was famous for always saying "gam zu letova." Nachum Ish Gam Zu was maimed, blind and cripple. His talmidim asked him why he deserved such suffering when he was obvisouly such a tzaddik. He replied to them that he had caused his own suffering.. He was once traveling when a poor man stopped his carriage and begged him for food. Nachum Ish Gam Zu told him to wait a few minutes while he unloaded his carriage and he would food him. By the time he unloaded his carriage the poor man had died from starvation. Since he delayed in giving food to the poor man he died.. Since he felt so bad he took upon himself all the dead mans suffering. Since the man could no longer see, R'Gam Zu no longer saw..his legs didnt work..R' Gam Zu's legs no longer worked etc...

We do the mitzvot... But we take our time... We never say that I wont do it..just not right now..soon ill get to it...

Mesillat Yesharim says that one of the worst middot to have is laziness

Why is it so tragic to take it slow... We're doing the mitzva just not right now?

- if we wait we are giving the yetzer hara a chance to attack and overtake us

- zrizut is a separate mitzva - u are on a different level you are an angel - bcz a malach has the vision of knowing how important it is to do right away and there is no chance for the yetzer hara to attack

Zohar says that it was in the zchut of Avraham waking up early to bring up Yitzchok that the Yam Suf split

We would think that it would be the actual עקידה not the preparing?! This simply shows us the importance of zrizut. Yetzias Metzrayim is the model for the final Geula. We see that if it was in the merit of zrizut that we were saved then..then it must be that the final Geuala as well will be in the zechut of our zrizut. 

The Shulchan Aruch brings down the Mishna that says:

שלחן ערוך- 

be bold like a leopard light as an eagle a swift like a deer strong like

Lion 

 Maharal says-

A leopard is comparable to Machshava.  A leopard is bold...it does not let others sway it from its stance.  We need to establish in our mind what it is that I need to do ( I have to wake up at 800 not 805 not 900) and we have to make that will final.  Even if others have opposing opinions, if we make our mind that I follow Halacha then there is no wiggle room 

The leopard has חוצפה. We need to integrate that chutzpa in our lives (in a proper way of course)

An eagle- get up like an eagle and fly with it... Use all your body To act right away. An eagle uses its entire body to fly. We need to invest our whole selves into what it is that we are setting out to do. No dilly dallying!

Deer- Do the mitzva quickly- don't waste time. We should not keep pushing it off, saying that i have time, I have time. The two main applications that come to mind are davening and shabbat. Particularly with mincha, whenever i say..oh i still have an hour..always the exact time when I had meant to daven..someone walks in..something comes up and I cant. 

The same happens with shabbat. On erev Shabbat we keep thinking..its ok..i have time..it will get done..but then its two minutes to candle lighting and your still flying around like a chicken without its head on..

Lion-when it comes to finishing the job make sure it's a strong finish! When u take on a responsibility upon yourself have to make sure the mitzva is done 100%

My Rav didnt get into the nitty gritty with this one..but he said it suffices to say that the punishment is severe for those who don't finish what they start 

Moshe did 99% of bringing Kllal Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael but Yehoshua gets credit for he finished the job 

עצלות is one of the worst middot. Shlomo Melech tells a story of a lazy man who is told that his Rav is in his country..he cannot be bothered ..he says there are lions in that city..then they tell him..the Rav have come to your city! he again complains that there are lions..they tell him that his Rav is at his door..there are lions at his door he says..the tell him that his Rav is in his house..i dont have my shoes..etcc. etc. etc. 

The story goes to show that if you want to be lazy..then one will make and excuse for everything.

Moshe tells us that  learning Torah is so close to you .. It's in your mouth and in your heart.. You don't have to go anywhere it's in you! Things are simple. They tend to be so. We just complicate them because we cannot be bothered to do them so we pointless obstacles that are not really there to justify our laziness. But the Torah is within Us! It is right there. We don't have to go far to access it.

What about when u rush u make mistakes ...?

R' Chaim of Volozhin went to ask the Vilna Gaom permission to build his yeshiva. He told him no. Two years later R' Chaim came back and asked again. This time the Gaon said yes. He wanted to make sure it was for real..nut just something he was doing on a whim or for his own personal ego.

Zrizut is not rash it's done conscientiously 

Halachot:

1) a Brit should be done first thing in the morning

2) it's more important to have the Brit early than having people there 

3) any mitzva should be done as soon as possible

4) better to have a simpler Torah than a beautiful one later

5)should have melave Malkah as soon as Shabbat is over 

6)pidyon haben asap

7) ner Chanukah right away

8)have to start the Seder right away 

~We need to maintain the zrizut throughout the entire mitzva. It cannot be just a beginning spur that dies away..it must be continuous and lasting. 

*these were my notes on a class i went to this week..just thought id share the love. 

May any inspiration be in the zechut of Asher Ben Gohar