As known by many, the book Orhot Tzadikkim breaks down its
content into different middot
(characteristic traits). One of the bolded negative characteristic traits is
laziness. The author speaks heavily about the disastrous events that an
individual causes for him/herself in this world and in the world to come when acting ina lazy fashion. However, in a part of the chapter, the author
brings down a mashal (parable) to
explain why being lazy is in fact the opposite of wisdom.
Sometimes we believe that by avoiding a task or a mission,
spiritual or not, we win by not exerting the effort into the assignment. For
example, sometimes we think we are so much smarter than those who wake extra
early to pray in the earliest minyan in the morning, when we are warm and cozy
in our comfortable mattress snuggling under the blanket. Another example is
those who put extra effort in their studies to strain themselves to understand
a sugiya (a part of Gemara) or a
Mishnah when we just lay back to ignore our misunderstanding and simply let
ourselves go with the flow.
The Orhot Tzadikkim explains this phenomenen through the
following parable. He explains that there are a select group of people who are
assigned by the honorable king himself to do certain tasks for the king that
are not so easy to accomplish. The king says that whoever does the task will be
rewarded and whoever doesn’t will not loose anything. Meaning, there is no
force behind this mission.
One of the chosen people who got the opportunity to choose
between doing and not doing the task says to himself: “Why go through all this
effort and extraneous activities, I won’t loose if I don’t participate! I am so
smart! Let all those crazy people do the king’s wishes and I will chill here.”
After the people come back successfully with the king’s wishes, the person puts
on a smirk and thinks he is so smart. We all know the end of the story: the
king rewards all those who put in the effort and the person is upset and looks
like a loner who lost. Even though he did not do anything or get any punishment
he really lost so much.
The same is with us in Olam
Haze (this world). We are given a Torah, a guide to life that helps us
cling to kedusha (purity) and Hashem. We are also given free choice. The
question is: will we be the people who go out to do all the Mitzvot and
accomplish Hashem’s will or will be the people who are “so smart” by following
their desires and doing whatever they think is real happiness (when in fact its
all some show and emptiness)?
The decision is
yours.
Judaism=Think.
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