The One Bad Middah That Everyone Has

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

When Hashem commanded the Jews to donate the materials needed for the Mishkan, the people eagerly began bringing gold, silver and other precious metals and cloth to Moshe. The leaders of the tribes — the Nessi’im — stood aside and waited, saying to themselves: “First let the people donate. Afterwards, we’ll supply whatever is still needed.”

When the people finished bringing the materials, the Nessi’im saw that the only things still missing were the precious stones needed for the ephod, which they then donated. However, Rashi notes that the Torah is critical of the Nessi’im, omitting one of the letters from their title. This is because the Nessi’im were lax in donating to the construction of the Mishkan. They therefore made sure to be the first to donate to the inauguration of the Mishkan, to correct their laziness at this juncture (Rashi 35:27).

This is puzzling. On the one hand, the Nessi’im refrained from donating right away for a good reason — to wait and see what really was needed for the Mishkan. In the end, they made a very important contribution. No one else was able to bring these precious stones. On the other hand, their waiting was criticized as stemming from laziness. Were the Nessi’im right or wrong?

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that indeed, the Nessi’im made what seemed to be a sound calculation. However, the Torah reveals that underneath their elevated intentions was a root of laziness. How could they have corrected this? Perhaps they should have said: “Hashem commanded to give to the Mishkan. That is what we must do! Making up for missing materials was not His command, and even if the people cannot provide everything, Hashem certainly can.”

The Mesilas Yesharim (9) explains that sometimes, laziness can influence a person’s thinking in ways that seem to him logical and even idealistic, yet they are simply expressions of laziness. “It’s cold outside. I have to think about my health. I must stay home (and miss the minyan),” or “how can I venture out of doors (to attend a shiur)? It’s dangerous!” A person may not even realize that laziness is the motivating factor behind many of his decisions.

Rav Avraham Grodzinsky notes that other bad middos (such as desire and arrogance) express themselves as tendencies in people’s nature, some more and others less. Laziness, however, is part and parcel of every human being. As Rav Chaim Vital writes in Shaar Hakedusha, just like the first man was created from the dust of the earth, so too all human beings retain this earthly nature. The Mesilas Yesharim (6) notes that man’s natural state is one of idleness and indolence. This may take the form of reluctance to help others, or unwillingness to apply oneself in Torah study. Even the leaders of the Jewish People, the Nessi’im, were judged guilty by the Torah of letting laziness influence their fulfillment of the mitzvah of contributing to the Mishkan.

What can we do to overcome this negative trait of laziness that we all possess?

Rav Shlomo Wolbe points to the Sages’ teaching (Avos 5) that one should be “light as an eagle and run swiftly like a deer” in doing Hashem’s will. What can that mean? A deer has powerful leg muscles. An eagle is not a light bird but it has wings. We do not!

A sense of joy, however, is a “wing” that can help us overcome laziness and propel us to enthusiastic service of Hashem. First, we must instill in ourselves joy over the very fact that we are alive, well and able to live productive lives. Just thinking about this should provide some initial happiness that we can build on. Next, we must instill in ourselves joy over being able to fulfill a command of Hashem. If we don’t feel this joy, we should do our best to “run swiftly” anyway to do a mitzvah. Our external actions will arouse within us a sense of energy and excitement.

Once, the Chasam Sofer was asked why it is that on Yom Kippur we say the vidui, a confession of our sins, in song, and with a melody that reflects happiness (i.e., a major scale, as opposed to a sorrowful minor scale)?

“It is a mitzvah to say the vidui, and a mitzvah is done in joy,” he replied. Any mitzvah we do should be done with joy, and this will help us to be enthusiastic about it.

Rav Yerucham Levovitz offers a different remedy for laziness: Find things to take upon ourselves. Where one is sluggish, he should strengthen himself. If one has always managed to push off completing a Maseches, make the current Maseches a new sort of project, one where you will finish within the coming months.

Rav Yerucham cites the Midrash (Devarim Rabba 5:2), stating: “Go to the ant, lazy one. The ant eats only a kernel and a half of wheat its entire life (of 6 months), yet it gathers and gathers. Once, people found within an ant hole 300 kur of wheat.”

Why does the ant persist in gathering more than it will ever need? It thinks that perhaps Hashem will decree on it life. This thought is what inspires the ant to persist in its labors. We too should look for ways to inspire ourselves in avodas Hashem, and there are many ways to do so.

Where is our sense of initiative? When it comes to avodas Hashem, we need to think big, make goals and start fulfilling them. Little by little, if we take more upon ourselves, enthusiastic avodas Hashem will take the place of laziness.

Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein relates that several years ago, a man in his neighborhood shared with his Rav that he was making no progress in learning. “After a day’s work, all I can do is open up a sefer after Maariv, and I fall asleep right away.”

The Rav advised him to go to a certain Daf Yomi shiur and to try to keep up with the daily schedule.

The man discussed the matter with his wife and the two agreed that he would set out soon after coming home from work to a nearby shiur, and would not allow himself to get bogged down in the goings-on at home.

This helped somewhat, but keeping up with the pace of Daf Yomi was a challenge, and at times he dozed off during the shiur.

That summer, when the man’s company went on vacation, the boss told him: “I heard that you take part in a Daf Yomi shiur. Could you please give a Daf Yomi shiur during the vacation?”

“Me, give a Daf Yomi shiur? I can barely keep up with the one I attend!” he thought to himself. But then he thought: “Wait a minute. Hashem put me into this situation, and He surely wants me to at least give it a try.”

He accepted. To his surprise, he was able to prepare each day’s Daf in advance, and when participants asked questions, he somehow was able to answer them. Both he and his wife felt that this was a sign of Siyatta DeShemaya. All agreed that the shiur was a success.

After the vacation, the boss told him: “I’ve gotten a lot of positive responses about your shiur. How about continuing the Daf Yomi shiur during the year? Okay?”

Again, he was taken aback, but felt that Hashem had led him into this situation, and wanted him to rise to the challenge. He agreed.

It was no longer vacation, and preparing for the shiur now meant staying up late at night, or getting up early in the morning. To this day he manages to give a daily shiur, and to his surprise, he no longer falls asleep over the sefer.

May we be zoche to overcome laziness!