Energizing Your Life with Enthusiasm
King David says in Psalms, “I hastened but I did not delay.” Why the double language? If you hastened, you automatically did not delay. The answer is that enthusiasm is in the mind, not in the legs. In Hebrew the word for desire is “ratzon.” The root of ratzon is ratz, which means run. If a person really wants something, she will run after it like Rivka ran to get water for Eliezer. She wanted to show kindness to Eliezer. Avraham also ran to show hospitality to his guests. When you have enthusiasm, you are motivated, and you get motivated by feeling that what you are doing has meaning—like Rivka and Avraham.

Enthusiasm is considered the jewel of all character traits. The following story best explains why a person should be focused, as enthusiasm means that a person is focused.

A man owned a furniture store and one morning he went to his store and saw smoke coming up from the floorboards. He ran down to the basement and tried to put out the fire, however, he could not. He called the fire department, but by the time the fire department arrived, the whole store was ruined by the fire. Two days before the fire, the man had gone to shul and someone said to him. “Every day you come to shul, but every day you come late.” So the man said, “What difference does it make what time I come? In the end I came.” The man thought that the fire department in the end also came. The man then realized that it does make a difference what time he comes. When he saw the fire, he realized that time does matter. After the fire, he arrived to shul on time. He was more focused—which means he had enthusiasm.

If you take advantage of opportunities, you should never say, “I would have, I should have, I could have.” However, rushing to do things is not good, because the trait of rushing is associated with regret. If a person always rushes, he will make mistakes. Enthusiasm, on the other hand, means diligence, because you are doing something G-d wants. If a person takes advantage of his opportunities, G-d will help him.

Here is another story about enthusiasm. A man who was going to circumcise his son said to the mohel, “I won’t be at my son’s bris. But what is important is that the bris is one on the eight day even if I can’t be there.” The bris ended up being delayed anyway because the baby was jaundiced and the bris could not be performed. The bris was then scheduled for a certain date, but the mother took the baby to the doctor earlier than scheduled, and the doctor said the baby was fine. So the father called the mohel and said, “We have to do the bris right away. The doctor said the baby is fine.” The mohel exclaimed, “You are still out of town, so you won’t be at your own son’s bris!” The father responded, “We have to do the bris even if I cannot be there. All that matters is that the bris is done on time.” Now that is enthusiasm. The father thought that no matter what, the bris had to be performed despite his absence.

One final story also illustrates that trait of enthusiasm well. A Kohain is not allowed to be around dead bodies, but attending to the dead is a very important mitzvah. So, a Kohain found out that there was a brand new lot for a cemetery. There were no dead bodies yet in the lot. He ran out and dug up the first grave. Where else could he a do a mitzvah for the dead? Because there were not any dead bodies in the lot, he ran out to do the mitzvah. That is enthusiasm.

I once read a book by Victor Frankel, who is a psychologist who survived a concentration camp. He said, “To live is to suffer, and to survive is to find meaning in the suffering.” If you find meaning in life, you will have enthusiasm. And G-d helps anyone who has enthusiasm.

End part 5

Personal Remarks by Rabbi Shlomo Crandall • Introductory Remarks:
(part 1 of 12)

Why People Suffer
(part 2 of 12)

Overcoming Anger
(part 3 of 12)

Getting An Attitude of Gratitude
(part 4 of 12)