We begin Chapter 6 of Mesilat Yesharim today! It’s all about energy and enthusiasm! Having concluded our learning about the trait of watchfulness, we move on to its counterpart – zeal!
Watchfulness tells us what to be careful of. Things that can prevent us from being on the right path in life. But zeal tells us about what we need to do once we’ve got ourselves onto the right path.
It’s all very well to say one has taken oneself off the incorrect path in life. But if one cannot seem to get anything done on the correct path, has one improved after all?!
Zeal – a suggestive translation of the Hebrew word “Zerizut” does little to describe its true characteristic. We are discussing a trait that has to do with energy and enthusiasm. Our mission is to engage in Mitzvah performance. It must be done with excitement! We should feel inspired to walk – and even run – along the path which is the correct one in life.
If we’re seeking to grow and develop into better people, we need to consider and involve ourselves constantly in the performance of Mitzvot.
In fact, doing positive good things is just as much a challenge as staying away from the negative things. Just that one is involved in the negative aspects of life and the other is involved in the positive aspects of life.
It is our laziness that prevents us from doing what is right and it is this that will need to be worked upon in order for us to get going to do what must be done!
