This week’s parsha is called “Tzav” which means “command.” Hashem tells Moshe to command his brother Aaron (and Aaron’s children as well) to perform the rites associated with the sacrifice known as the olah. When Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to instruct the people about a mitzva, he uses one of three expressions. Usually Hashem uses the verbs emor or daber which mean “tell.” Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to tell the people a particular law. Occasionally (as in this week’s parsha), Hashem uses the verb tzav, which means command the people to perform these obligations.

Since all the mitzvot are obligations, why are some singled out for the added emphasis of tzav? Rashi comments on the word on the word tzav. Based on the Sifra, Rashi says that the word tzav means to act with alacrity, and that this command is for the present and the future. Rabbi Shimon says there is a special need for this injunction where financial loss is involved (it isn’t clear what sort of financial loss is involved here. For this reason the Ramban actually disagrees with Rashi’s citation of Rabbi Shimon. It may be that Rashi and Rabbi Shimon are concerned with the following. In other sacrifices the Kohanim receive a portion of the sacrifice for themselves and they make a meal out of the sacrifice. The olah is an exception in that its meat burned in its entirety and the Kohanim only receive the animal’s hide. Rabbi Shimon feared that Kohanim would be reluctant to perform the olah service when other sacrifices would be available. Therefore the Torah has to order the Kohanim to perform the olah service when it presents itself even though the Kohen occupied with it may miss out on the opportunity to perform another, more “profitable” sacrificial rite).

Alacrity, zrizut, is a fundamental value in Judaism as an expression of our being servants of the Lord, ovdei Hashem. The importance of zrizut is two-fold. First of all, this trait ensures that we do not miss opportunities to perform mitzvot due to laziness. Second, zrizut, which is an attitude towards physical performance of mitzvot is part of a another desirable trait referred to as hitlahavut- enthusiasm.

Zrizut is described in the musar work, Mesilat Yesharim. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto zt”l wrote the Mesillat Yesharim as a guide to achieving human perfection- holiness. Basing himself on a teaching of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, Rabbi Luzzatto (known as the Ramchal) identifies nine character traits that need to be acquired before holiness can be reached. Famously, Ramchal writes in the introduction to Mesilat Yesharim that there are no chidushim in his book. He simply observed that while we all know what is expected of us, we fail. All we need is to review the basics of musar and he, Ramchal, wrote a simple book to help us in our Avodat Hashem. Of course Ramchal’s introduction is testimony to his humility. Mesilat Yesharim , like the Rambam’s Mishna Torah is clear and lucid but that does not belie the profundity of these works, and no one could say he failed to find a chiddush in Mesilat Yesharim.

Zrizut is the second trait described in Mesilat Yesharim. Zerizut is mastered when a person overcomes laziness. Ramchal writes (in chapter nine) that a person must realize that he isn’t here to rest. He’s here to work. Once a person realizes that he’s a laborer and G-d is his boss, he’s on the way to overcoming laziness and acquiring zrizut. Ramchal is primarily concerned with zrizut as an impediment to performing mitzvot. He mentions only briefly (in the seventh chapter) that physical laziness leads emotional sluggishness.

The Chassidic teachers were concerned with sluggishness. They encouraged zrizut as the means to reaching hitlahavut. The Maggid of Mezritch zt”l who was the pre-eminent disciple of the Ba’al Shem Tov writes that it is hitlahavut that gives meaning to mitzvot (see for example chapters 97 and 113 in his Maggid Dvarav L’Yaakov.) Indeed, the Maggid, whose sayings of Torah are generally optimistic with regard to human efforts to achieve G-d’s will, writes that feelings of sadness are difficult to overcome (ibid. chapter 29). The Sfat Emet to parshat Zachor (from the year 5674) explains these concepts. Rashi on parshat Zachor (Devarim, 25:18) explains that the word korcha comes from the word kor. Amalek’s aim was to cool our enthusiasm for serving Hashem. Zrizut leads to chasidut . Amalek knew this and they launched their desperate, militarily hopeless attacks on us with the aim of weakening our resolve.

The great insight of the Sfat Emet ( which he attributes to the Chozeh of Lublin) is in how to overcome feelings of hopelessness. He writes that joy and hopelessness arise from the realization of our distance from G-d. It is true that G-d is infinitely removed from us. This realization can lead a person to despair of ever reaching G-d. The key to avoiding this pitfall is to understand that despite all this G-d desires us. As long as a person takes to keep in mind that Hashem wants us to be close to Him despite our frailties he will be safe from despair.