Parshas Tzav: What’s More Dangerous Than Climbing Annapurna Solo?

A $40,000 swing can ruin your mood, but it takes one phone call with real medical news to make money feel small. We record from that place, where disappointment and fear are both on the table, and we let Torah tell the truth about what deserves our “brain space” and what doesn’t. As Pesach nears and Parshat Tzav comes into view, we dedicate the learning for a full and speedy recovery for someone deeply respected in our lives, and we try to turn pain into something honest and useful.

We build the core idea through a tight chain of sources: a Rashi on “Kach et Aharon,” the Maharal’s read on free will, and the surprising claim that you cannot actually “take” a person. You can only draw them with words, meaning, and persuasion. From there we hit the deeper question: why does the Torah repeat a command that was already said earlier? The answer becomes the episode’s engine, because motivation before action is not the same as motivation when it’s time to perform.

That opens into one of the most practical Jewish ethics teachings you can carry into daily life: zerizus, alacrity, as mapped by the Ramchal in Mesillat Yesharim. We talk about zerizus before the mitzvah so you don’t delay, and zerizus after you start so you actually finish, with the right mindset. If you’ve been stuck in procrastination, half-finished commitments, or spiritual “almosts,” this gives language and tools to close the gap between intention and follow-through.

If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review so more people find the Torah podcast. What’s one mitzvah or responsibility you want to stop delaying this week?

Transcript

A Day That Falls Apart

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This is a really tough podcast to record. It's Thursday. It's March 26th. It's the month of Nissan. Pesach is around the corner. Today was supposed to be a good day. Today was supposed to be a bright sunny day. My brother was gonna drive him from Passaic. We were gonna meet at the Forge Pond golf course. I had two showings today. Exciting showings. One was gonna be a big multifamily deal. With a really honest Erlacha guy who has the financial backing to make a big splash. I sent the deal to him, and we were gonna go see it. It was in East Orange, New Jersey. Another deal. With a righteous and really hardworking and honest Jew, two buildings in Asbury Park. If there was any time left in the day, I wanted to take the kids to the park. But it wasn't that good day today. It was a really hard day. Because one of the deals that I had been working on for the last fifteen days, I was excited about it. It was gonna be my first big payday. Somebody told me they wanted help. They offered me the opportunity to sell a building, to find a buyer, and I went out and found a buyer, ready, willing, and able. I showed him the building. We processed the numbers, I negotiated back and forth, and I brought a$2.7 million offer. But the seller said, When I told you that you can earn 1.5% commission, I only meant if you were to bring a full price offer. At$2.8 million. So I can't pay you the commission. There was some back and forth and some chatter. But cutting straight to the chase, whether or not the deal goes through or not, I have no idea. I'm not involved anymore. It was just taking up brain waves and brain space and brain cells. And I can't give those up. I only know I don't really have that many of them. So I moved on. But the big payday came crashing down because some unethical, unfair, uncool, kinda shallow and petty actions from someone that I actually thought was kinda sweet and cool. But that wasn't the worst part of the day. Because I've clarity about that. I've moved on, I'm ready to do the next deal. If I'm supposed to make the money, I'll make it elsewhere. But in all my complaining about the financial loss of today, and the fact that it didn't work out for me, one of the most well respected people in my life, one of the most humble and gifted people in my life, wasn't feeling well and got horrible news of a treacherous, evil, and sinister illness. It shook me. My brother was the one who called to tell me about it. I couldn't even breathe when I heard it. It was one of those types of pieces of news that you can remember where you were when you heard it. It was that bad. Hearing about this diagnosis, which is a matter of life or the lack thereof, really puts my forty grand lost into perspective. But that was my day. There wasn't no parks, closings, showings, smiles, machaims. But the podcast must go on. It's these couple minutes that we have together, and hopefully you enjoy them, gain from them. But either way, I know I do. The podcast is therapeutic for me. It's a time that we get to come together, headphones on, microphone on, notes and sources open, and it's peaceful, and we get to just learn Torah. We get to do something that we know brings happiness to Hashem, as it were. And so I'd actually like to give a podcast over, something that I'm very passionate about, a new Yesoit, something that I saw in a new light this year, that actually connects very much to the financial loss of today. And I'd also like to dedicate the Torah that we're about to learn to a full and speedy recovery for this incredible figure in my life. I don't know if it's public information, so I don't want to share the name or who. Hashem knows who he is, and Hashem knows that we need him. And he should have a full refuge lema and the Torah that we learn should be his chus for his total healthy recovery without any side effects. Goddle, we're going into the Pesach season. Be sure to hear the Drasha from your rov this week. And Parsha's Sav talks about a lot of the carbonos, the sacrifices, the offerings, the Aronic priesthood rituals. And I'd like to pull out one set of Psukim, hit a Rashi, Hit a Maharal, Hit A Raby Ruchem, Hitar Ramchal, and then rant about it. We get a mitzvah. The commandment here is for Moshe to take the steps and anoint Aron and his children as the Kohanim. It's the inauguration ceremony, the ready set go of the Mishkan. Take Aron, the Pusak says, take him and his kids, and let's get the show on the road. In explaining this posk of let's get the show on the road, Rashi says three different things. We're going to quickly touch the first one, or kind of lightly touch the first one, more firmly discuss the second one, and then in-depthly rant about the third one. The first Rashi says, Kachas Aron, Uchabatora. Well, Rashi seems to be bothered by why there's this reiteration of the commandment. It seems out of line. We're talking here about the anointing and the final instructions and commandments of the Mishkan. This should have been earlier. We've kind of moved into the actual Carbonos. Last week was about the Carbonos Sibor and the Carbonos Yachid. And here we're going back to the inauguration ceremony. Rashi says you should know that there's no issue here because the transposition of this kind is quite customary in the Torah. There isn't any chronological earlier or later in the Torah. Okay. That's Rashi number one. So we have this, and there's not chronologically correct, and that's okay. The Pasa continues that Moshe should take Arun. Take him. Kah is Arun. Rashi says three words Kahnu Bidvarim Umash. Take him with words and draw him. What's Rashi bothered by? Take him and draw him? What is Rashi explaining what the word Kah is? Kah means to take. The Maharal, the Guru Arya, explains a powerful lesson here in what Rashi is addressing. Says the Maharal, Daloshaichab. Rashi's bothered by how could Moshe take a person? You can't take people. That person isn't entering into your jurisdiction. You're not in control of people. Each person has free will. After he's not going to go on anyone else's whims, but rather his own freedom. So how can you take a person? Says Rashi, Kahenu Bidvarim. The way that you could take a person, Rashi's explaining to you, the way that it's possible to fulfill the commandment of take him is to Hashu Loke's Das or itsono. Try to convince him, encourage him. Try to grab at his brain and try to grab at his wills. Uki iluhu Daito Bir Shuso to make it as if he's kind of acting with your knowledge. That's one you soda I just wanted to touch on. Because it's important that we see this Rashi, that it reminds us that you can never be taken. You're always in your own free will. You can be motivated or subjugated, but never taken. If you do want to see the other side of Rashi, you'll see a lesson in how to motivate people. How to Kehu as Arun is Kihu You know, speak to his heart. Try to motivate. That was the obligation. And that's just so number one. And now on to what I really wanted to talk about. This third Rashi. Rashi says the following. Take this atonement cow. Eluha Amurim be in savos hamilu embiva ato titsave. This commandment, these commandments, were all stated in an earlier partiha of Ato Titsave. Rashi seems to be bothered. Why are we getting a commandment to do something that's already been told? This is a different question than the first question, Rashi had. The first point we made is about the chronological order, and we answered that that's not a problem. Now we're dealing with why is there a reiteration of a commandment? It's already been given, says Rashi. And now Beom Rishon Lamiluim when it is the first day of the installation ceremony, Hashem Hashem came back to be Mizarees, to extort sorry, exhort not extort, exhort, to motivate, to to encourage, to be Mizares, to encourage one to act with alacrity. Hashem wanted to do it at the time that it's actually happening. A very powerful question and answer. Don't you think? The question is why is there a reiterated set of commandments in the Torah? And the answer is because Hashem felt the need that now the time has come to motivate and encourage and command again. That even though it's already been stated in the Atta Titsava this commandment, both of these commandments, both of these alacrities, these zarizoses of Hashem, they're really one. It's all one. But however, there's the first commandment, which was the alacrity before the action. And now that it's Arshav Bishas Hamaisa, now that it's actually coming to the time itself, it's necessary to command once more. Rabbi Rucham explains. From before the time of action until the time of action, that is already a completely different matter. And a completely different zreos type of alacrity and encouragement is required. Just think about this for a second. What does all this say? That Hashem felt a need to encourage and to motivate and to ask more zrezus of from Moshe Rabinu, the holiest Jew, when it's now time to follow through in front of all of the Jews about the consecrating and inaugurating ceremony of the Mishkan. If there's ever a time that we don't need to have another warning, another zrezus, another call to action, it's in this very moment between Hashem and Moshe. I mean, it doesn't get better than Moshe. Picture what's being commanded here, folks. But the kiddish, and as we say, Vosht Da, which is Yiddish for what do all these words teach? What does it say here? That when it comes to enthusiasm, that when it comes to Zerizus, that when it comes to the passion in pursuit, there is alacrity before. And there's also it's required to have a warning and a big, big push forward of alacrity once it's actually time to get it done. Ramchal flushes, fleshes this concept out. There's a concept famous in Musr, chapter seven of the peerless Musr Safer, the book that is the Krem de la Krem of all Torah and Musr. Ramchal chapter seven, not an extra word in the first 11 chapters. Listen to how Ramchal explains the concept of Zrezus that maybe we've heard before, but we haven't heard it like this in this concept context. Let me tell you what Zerizus is about. It is two parts. Exactly like it has in our parsha. Echad kodem ha maisa, the echad ahri kane. One type of alacrity is before you do, and the other type of alacrity is after the action is now called upon to begin. Kodam Aschalasa Misa, let's discuss this. Let's understand this clearly. There's something in Zriza's, which is really where we're all up to, hopefully, in our climb towards Hashem. The Mesil Sasharm is a ladder of how to get to the level of a prophet, honestly. And step one is figuring out your job in life and kind of understanding what's asked of you. And then step two is the heroes, which is just not becoming someone that just goes with the flow, but instead turns their brain on and wants to think for themselves and become better. And if you're listening to a Torah podcast, you're you're kind of at that level. You're trying to get better and think and learn and be encouraged. And so we're kind of all in Zaheros, but trying to move on to Zerizos. And Zerizus is hard because we're naturally lazy. So it's important that we know all of this crystal clearly before when the mice comes, we're warned. Don't let it become chummates. As soon as the time comes to do a mitzvah or when it brews up in your head, you have a new thought to do something? Yemso so sa, you run forward and grab it. The lobe come between here and there. Listen to these words. Listen to these words. The zarizas needed before your action is so crucial that you don't let something distract you, that you don't become lazy and just sleep in. Because if you don't act immediately, ain sakhana kisakhana so there is no impediment. There is no danger. There is no danger, like the danger of delaying to do a mitzvah. Every second that comes up, Yuchalis Kadesh is a ek of Lamaisa Tov, something could come up that's gonna block you. That's the first part of Zerizos. Every single time that you get an opportunity to do a mitzvah, or you have a thought to do a mitzvah, and then you decide, hold on one second, maybe I shouldn't do it. You kind of are in limbo. Should I jump at this opportunity? Each second of that is the most dangerous situation in the world. Isn't that what the words translate as? Don't let anything, no, any delay happen. Don't let it become chemit. There is no danger like it. I wanted to look up what's the most dangerous thing so we could figure out what's now even more dangerous than that because ki ainakana kasaka naso. The most dangerous thing agreed upon by most danger-interested enthusiasts is solo mountaineering up the most dangerous mountain of Mount Anapurna, which is some sort of mountain in the Himalayas that has a one in three death rate when you try to climb it, and you end up getting into this death zone of no air, and you become stranded, and then you lose consciousness? Or base jumping is another dangerous activity with this wing suit where you're flying down a mountain without any parachute. Those are all the most deathly hallowed sports and activities, but even more dangerous than both of those activities, more dangerous than climbing on a perna, however you say it, even more dangerous than that is that when you have an opportunity or a thought to go and do a mitzvah, to go David, to go put fillin on, to say Kriyashima, to do chesed, to learn Torah, but then you don't act upon it, but instead you just sit there and ruminate. Why? It makes sense. You don't need the one, two, three, four, five, six, seven proofs about this part of the reasons that Ramhal brings. You know it. Because you know you came into this world to stay focused and to get on to doing mitzvahs, which is what God wants you to do. And you know that the one thing that's gonna stop you from doing mitzvos is when you don't act immediately and you just sit there because of course something's gonna come up and get in the way. Of course, the Azaharta will get involved, of course, life will get involved, of course. So the time of letting the mitzvah become chumates is so frightening. Each one of the proofs is important. We're just gonna skim right through them so we can get on to the thing I want to focus on about the second chilik of Zerizas Pishasa Misa. But the Zerizas before the Maisa, the first proof is from Gichon and the coronation of Shlomo, that things get in the way. The second proof is about Shmartimesa Matsvos, Khazal tell you mitzvah habal yodcha tahmitzana, chazal in one place talk about how things could get in the way of King Shlomo's anointing and Ghizon, and that means there's gonna be things that are in the way. And the second proof is about you should treat watch mitzvah like matzah, don't let it become chemits, I'll tell you over and over. You should always do a mitzvah first. This is a remarkable raya, a remarkable proof that you should study in depth. But Lot was in the cave with his daughters, and one of the daughters acted before the other one. And because of that, Zrizus, she's rewarded in some aspect. I mean, think about the proof that Ramchal's bringing from Khazal, that the idea of Zerizus is so important that from incest, from father-daughter cohabitation, for xrizas for that, someone's rewarded. That's how powerful Ramchal's Rayah is. Raya number five is about La'oilam Machtim Le mitzvahs, do them as soon as they come into your hands. You should run to do a mitzvah. Even on Shabbos, you can imagine a rabbi in his Shabbos clothes if there's a mitzvah opportunity, then you lace up those Shabbat galoshes, those Shabbos boots, and get going. There's another raya, huy nah al mus, means someone who's a youth. You should act with youthfulness. And that's all just for the first Khailek of Zerizos. And this I want to keep in context is what we're elaborating on because of this concept that we're seeing that Hashim. Told Moshe once to be Mazar is him to do the Mishkan inauguration service well. And then after that, we're moving on now to the second part, which is actually happening at Parashasab, where there's a new commandment to actually inaugurate Aaron and his sons and all of it right now, and that's a news rezus. And now I want to talk about the news rezus that we need to have. We need to have both of these aspects of Zerizus. Let's move into Ramchal's now, second aspect of Zerizus and how we should approach our life and Avaidas Hashem. And this leads us to the second part of Zerizus, which is Ahar Haschalas Hamasa. After you have begun to perform the mitzvah, Kiv Yem Mahri Lahashlamosa, you now need to act with alacrity to close the mitzvah, to close the deal. And not to close the deal and to finish the mitzvah in a way that is a poor mindset where you're just trying to get over with it. Can we just get through this Davening so I can get back to watching the game? Therefore you hurry through Davening. That's not alacrity, that's not zealousness. Elemy Urosso, you're acting with haste because there's a fear Penlo Yezkalig Morosa. Maybe you will not merit to complete it. This is a Moy Ridic. Something new and novel. There's a new Zerizas that starts that's coming up only after you started to take the initiative. You need the Zerizas to close the deal. And there's a Zerizas in a mindset. Because you're afraid what's gonna be, oh my goodness, if I don't close this deal, I'm not gonna get paid. And all of the work can we say it this much? But perhaps all of the work that you've done, all of the speed to get to the mitzvah may be for not if you don't close it. Ligmar osa. This second part of Zerizas also brings with it seven Rayas from Ramchal. The first one, Kola Maschab Mitzvah Einu Gomer Osa, anyone who begins a mitzvah and then doesn't close the deal, Koyver istto Bonov, he buries his loved ones. A frightening medrish. Words of Chazal that are very deep. When you start a mitzvah and don't complete it, it's like you've dated the kind young lady, courted her, led her on, and then ditched her. That's what it's like when you start a mitzvah and then don't finish it. Of course, you don't pull through, you have no legacy, you have no eternal accomplishment, so you end up not having some in your own marriage and children. Ain't a mitzvah Nikra's El Al Shim Gomer, it's only called the Hofheimer Hall because Hofheimer completed it. He was the one who put his name on it to get the building done. Only a mitzvah is called after who put the nail in the coffin. You see a man who's quick with his work. Lefne Malochim Yasyatsev, he's gonna sit with kings. Kol Yasyatsev Lefne Chasukim. Sorry. Bal Yasyatsevne Chasukim. He's acting with speed, with alacrity. He's not gonna stand before lowly men. Here's a real one that really connects with us. Al Shamir, there's praise about Shlomo Melech Al-Shemir Bemelech's biny and abayas. Shlomo Melech acted with speed and with zealousness. And he wasn't lazy when building the base on Migdash. He wasn't lazy after he already began it. He got the job done. He got the building up. Al Shemir Bemelechaza Mishgan. Bemelechaza Mishkan. Ramchal actually quotes our topic here as one of the proofs. Moshab Bainu's zealousness, Moser Moshe Bainu's alacrity, and that he completed the Mishgan. He built it. He's now inaugurating it. That's lauded, that's praised. Rivka's alacritousness is noted. She emptied her pitcher into the trough with speed. We learn about Shimshon with speed. Vatira. And you should know. Shaoda Masher Talafsho Bavodas Bore. A person's heart when it's on fire? If you're really alive, Vada Shoyisatso Basya Smitsvosov, here's where you need to pay attention. For sure a person who's alive with a love of Hashem is not gonna be lazy. Elatiyya, if you really love Hashem and you're really alive and with a soul of flame in the service of your creator, Elatiyah Tnu also kitsnuas ho eshamahira, you should be like a quick moving fire. How fast does fire move? Fire that's detonating moves more than one thousand meters per second. You should be faster than that. Kiloya Nuachvalo Yishkod, you will not find peace and you will not rest until the task is completed. That's the type of zealousness, that's the type of eagerness, that's the type of earnestness, that's the type of enthusiasm, that's the type of Zerizos that Moshe had, and that's the type that Hashem encouraged Moshe should have in the second calling of the inaugurating. And Parsha Sav. It's the second Khalik of Zerizos that Rash is talking about. And now what's left for us is the question of how do we get Zerizos? How do we improve our Zerizos? I want to do it, I want to sign on the dotted line. I want to heed the call. Remchal answers it. The fire inside is how you should drive your actions. Caiman has a reason, you're volid his latus. So too your zrezus. It will give birth to a soul of flame. Because, says Ramchal, heart. But be lazy, but be sluggish, be sloth-like. Gamtnu asso rucha tishka vatighbah, you're gonna put out your inner fire. You hear this, Yasoid people? You hear this, Yasod? That the way that you act, says Ramchal, the way that you act, the heart that you need and you're required to have in your service of Hashem that should be a lit on fire, that's what's really wanted, Ramchal says. Hashem wants your heart. But if your heart's not alive, then you're not gonna act with Zrezus. So how do you get to your heart to get to Zrezos? He says, Aitova, I have your advice. Oh no, you should have a forcing of yourself to act with alacrity. Kedeva. You force yourself to act with alacrity and with speed a couple times. You can stoke the coals inside by merely forcing yourself to act with alacrity. It's easier to fix the outside than it is to fix the inside. Do what you can do, and it will start your heart. You hear this eight Tatovah? You can buy into what Hashem wants of you. You can act like Moshe Abeinu and he the call of the Zerizas Kodamaisa and Achara Maisa. You just need to force yourself to have some intensity and some forcefulness and your speed and your avotus Hashem for a little bit. It gets easier. The Hitsonis, your outward action that is under your jurisdiction, will fix your heart. Force yourself to wake up early and on time for davening, and it will light your fire aflame with a hislavos and a love of Ashem. It's for a different conversation how incredible this concept is. That the outward actions affect your inside. Just think about that for a second, that you could fix the carburetor inside of your car, fix the brakes, or fix the engine, which isn't working inside just by driving it, forcing the car to move in neutral, pushing it, and eventually that make the engine go on and fixes the carburetor. That's a remarkable concept. The human body, the chachma that we have here. You need to be on top of your actions because that's what inspires your heart. But that's this week's podcast. That we need zeros. And there are two types of zeros. There's the zerizus to not delay in going after the mitzvah. And then there's the zrezus when the mitzvah comes in completing it. And Hashem goes out of his way in the Torah to repeat Kaches Aron and Parsha's Tsav just to encourage Moshe for the Zerizas Akhar after he's already begun the mitzvah. This is the Zrizos Pishasha mitzvah. That's what's coming up here. You can imagine it in like competitive sports, where the coach gives a pregame speech or the speech at the beginning of the season. And as it gets closer to the actual objective in the game, it's now time to close the game. It's the halftime speech in the championship. That's another type of speech. That's what's happening here. This is the Swix podcast. That we need constant encouragement, constant pressure we should be putting on ourselves to force ourselves out of bed, to chase down the mitzvos, to inspire ourselves and learn musr, to be machazik ourselves and strengthen ourselves in zarzurizos, to not let one second come in between you and the mitzvah, because there's no possible more dangerously dangerous situation. Even climbing Anaperna mountain is less dangerous than delaying to do a mitzvah. And then there's the second part that you need to close the deal. You need to get the job done. And then also take zeros. And if that is what needs to be said in the Torah and Parshat again, that Moshe should take his brother and now begin the ceremony, and this is called the Zrizus Pishasa mitzvah, it needs a new a new call to action, a new set of zrizos. That's what Hashem needs to call upon Moshe to have. How much more so? That we need to be mechazic ourselves, strengthen ourselves before a mitzvah, at the time of a mitzvah, during the mitzvah, to close the deal, to actually get the job done and satisfactorily complete all that is asked of us.