A few weeks ago, I was speaking to Shlomo Pomeranz, a devoted firefighter and friend (and fellow talmid of Rabbi Berel Wein). We were discussing the challenge of always being on call. Like all devoted emergency personnel, firefighters must be ready to drop what they are doing, no matter the time of day or night, to do their noble bidding.
Shlomo pointed out that although firefighters indeed will drop what they’re doing on a whim, as a rule they never run. You will never see a firefighter arriving at a fire and immediately running towards the blaze with a hose. When firefighters arrive at the scene, they must make an initial assessment of the situation. Although that means the fire will have a little more time to burn, the firefighters have to contemplate the optimal way and place to begin their efforts. If they have to enter a building on fire, they have to first decide where the best and safest point of entry is, and they must know where their point of escape from the blazing inferno will be. Those few extra moments taken to survey the situation are crucial to their success and can be the difference between heroism and tragedy.
M’silas Y’sharim (Path of the Just), authored by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707-1746), a classic and beloved musar sefer, lays out a framework and path to greatness. It is based on a statement in a baraisa by Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair (Avodah Zarah 20b). The baraisa begins, “Torah brings to watchfulness and watchfulness brings to z’rizus.”
In his commentary to M’silas Y’sharim, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski notes that the word z’rizus is not easily translated. Z’rizus connotes an attitude of devotion, enthusiasm, diligence, agility, and fervor. It stems from a burning desire and readiness to do what is right and what will help him become a better person.
Z’rizus is emotional excitement that fuels achievement. However, it is not necessarily about hurrying. When one acts too quickly, he can become aggressive and not consider how he is affecting others.
In a sense, z’rizus is like a fire of passion. When managed and directed properly, that fire can be a source of warmth, light, and joy. But when it is allowed to run rampant, that energy and passion can be damaging.
This idea is also applicable to relationships. When issues arise, particularly with our children, we have a natural desire to rectify the situation as quickly as possible so we can get back to our usual routine.
The problem is that “dealing with stuff” properly generally entails patience to understand what’s really happening before we can help the situation.
In Sh’ma, we state, “va’avadtem m’heirah – and you will be destroyed quickly,” a warning for when we don’t properly adhere to the Torah. The Piacezner Rebbe offered an additional homiletic explanation: Acting and reacting out of feeling “m’heirah” – rushed and harried – can destroy us.
Lag BaOmer celebrates the fire of passion that burned so strongly within Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that it could not be doused by their detractors. It’s a fire that resulted from deep love and commitment. That fire continues to burn within every one of us, passionate yet controlled, ever eternal.
Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, a rebbe at Heichal HaTorah in Teaneck, New Jersey, is a parenting consultant and maintains a private practice for adolescents and adults. He is also a member of the administration of Camp Dora Golding for over two decades. Rabbi Staum was a community rabbi for ten years, and has been involved in education as a principal, guidance counselor, and teacher in various yeshivos. Rabbi Staum is a noted author and sought-after lecturer, with hundreds of lectures posted on torahanytime.com. He has published articles and books about education, parenting, and Torah living in contemporary society. Rabbi Staum can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. His website containing archives of his writings is www.stamTorah.info.
