The Importance of Haste

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

In Parshas Bo, the redemption from Egypt occurred — in haste. Although the Jews had been enslaved for 210 years, when the redemption came, it came quickly and suddenly. Even the korban Pesach, which was eaten the night before leaving, had to be eaten in haste, as if any minute the time would come to leave (see Shemos 12:11).

After the redemption, we are commanded to remember the haste in which we left. When the nation entered Eretz Yisrael, the korban Pesach had to be roasted on a skewer, which the Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 7) explains is an expression of haste, as this is the quickest way to cook raw meat. This is in order to remember the haste with which our ancestors left Egypt. In the hagada we read on Pesach, we proclaim that the matzos are eaten because the Jews didn’t even have time for their dough to rise before leaving Egypt. In the holiday prayers, Pesach is referred to as the “Holiday of the Matzos.” For all generations, Pesach is symbolized by the haste of the Exodus.

This is puzzling. We left Egypt in haste, but why should there be mitzvos to remember this? Haste was only one element in the broader picture of an entire nation gaining freedom. Why is so much emphasis placed on remembering what is at most a detail of the Exodus?

Rav Chaim Friedlander answers that recalling the haste of Egypt strengthens our emuna that Hashem can bring about the most sweeping changes in an instant. He has limitless power, and surely does not need “time to prepare” as human beings do. When He decided that the time was right for the Jews to leave Egypt, at that split second it happened, with no need for any build-up or stages.

This is an important message, that Hashem’s salvation can come “k’heref ayin”—in the blink of an eye. Be it personal or communal issues, or the long-awaited final redemption, every Jew should feel secure that Hashem can bring him from darkness to light in one moment.

However, the Mechilta (Shemos 11:12) speaks of the haste of Hashem and the haste of Yisrael. It seems the Sages are hinting that we must remember the haste that the Jews experienced in the Exodus as well. The haste of Hashem has an important message, as shown above, but what is the importance of the haste of Yisrael? Why must it be remembered?

Rav Moshe Schwab answers that the entire Jewish people knew that this was a propitious time. They had the opportunity to leave Egypt and become Hashem’s nation. Such a chance for spiritual elevation had to be seized at once. Had they failed to do so, they might have missed the opportunity to leave Egypt altogether. The kabbalists confirm this, saying that the Jews were then at the 49th level of impurity, and had they sunk to the 50th level, redemption would have been impossible.

Haste during the Exodus was of the utmost importance, and in fact, this is true of all the mitzvos. Each mitzvah is an opportunity to grow spiritually, but if you delay it, the chance may not come again. The Mechilta expresses this in explaining the verse, “And you shall guard the matzos” (Shemos 12:17). The Sages state: Don’t say “matzos,” but rather “mitzvos” [in Hebrew, the two words are spelled identically]. Just like matza dough, if left un-kneaded for a minute, can become chametz, so too, if you delay doing a mitzvah even

for a moment, you can lose the mitzvah altogether. Therefore, the Mechilta continues: “When a mitzvah comes to your hand, do not ‘let it become chametz,’ but do it right away!”

How can we acquire this positive quality of haste, or diligence, in our mitzvah observance? The Mesillas Yesharim (6) says at the outset that this is not an easy job. The body’s natural state is rest and it will fight any challenge to that. In the following chapter, the Mesillas Yesharim advises that if a person lacks diligence in doing mitzvos, he should behave externally in a way that displays diligence and enthusiasm, even if it is entirely insincere. “Exterior behavior arouses one’s interior.” For example, if one begins his learning seder alone and without a sense of eagerness, he should intone the words he is studying in a lively nigun. Or, if a person finds it hard to rise from his bed on time for Shacharis, he should make some external effort. Put one foot on the floor, start moving his limbs, and this will begin building in him a true desire to get to davening.

Rav Chaim Friedlander has another suggestion on how to obtain diligence in mitzvah observance. If one knows that he will have trouble waking up the following morning, already the night before, as he goes to sleep, he should begin thinking or saying to himself: “Tomorrow, I have the opportunity to daven Shacharis with a minyan. Every tefilla is heard by Hashem. This is a chance to make my entire day successful. Is there anything more important in the world than davening a proper Shacharis? Can sleep compete with that?”

Even though he knows that his body will make it difficult to get out of bed, he resolves not to give in. When the time of nisayon comes, he will not forget that Shacharis is more important than those few extra minutes of sleep. Rashi expresses this idea in Chulin (107b), that diligence is about anticipating what is likely to happen in the future.

Rebbetzin Kanievsky lived this way, always diligent in doing mitzvos, even when challenges arose. The mitzvah of chessed was particularly demanding: Her house was always full of people coming to her for brachos and advice. This left her with no time and barely any space for herself. Groups from Beis Yaakov would come to her as well, before their bas mitzvah, and to each girl she would give a bracha. In addition, groups of seminary girls came often, some of them girls who had come to Eretz Yisrael to study for only one year. To them as well, Rebbetzin Kanievsky would give individual attention and a bracha. She was busy with all this from day to night. At some point, she realized that this was too much for her and intended to place some limitations. When it came to actually implementing a change, however, she reconsidered, saying that “people need me.”

Later, Rebbetzin Kanievsky’s family noticed that this was taking a toll on her health. They decided to limit these visits in some way. Perhaps the Rebbetzin would only receive certain groups and not others, and speak to them only as a group but not individually. When they told her about this, she objected. “Doing chessed the way it should be done — this is the most important thing. It’s not hard for me.”

May we be diligent in doing mitzvos!

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