A Biblical Meditation on "Alacrity". A Jewish Source
MESILLAT YESHARIM
THE PATH OF THE JUST
by
MOSHE CHAYIM LUZZATTO (15th century)
It is to be observed that all of the deeds of the righteous are performed with alacrity. In relation to Abraham it is written (Genesis 18: 6), "And Abraham hastened to the tent, to Sarah, and he said, 'Hasten...' and he gave it to the youth and he hastened." And in relation to Rivkah (Ibid. 24: 20). "And she hastened and emptied her pitcher…." And in the Midrash (Bamidhar Rahbah 10: 17), "'And the woman made haste' (Judges 13: 10) — this teaches us that all of the deeds of the righteous are done quickly." that they do not permit time to elapse before beginning them or in completing them.
The man whose soul burns in the service of his Creator will surely not idle in the performance of His mitzvoth (duties), but his movements will be like the quick movements of a fire; he will not rest or be still until the deed has been completed. Furthermore, just as zeal can result from an inner burning so can it create one. That is, one who perceives a quickening of his outer movements in the performance of a mitzvah (duty) conditions himself to experience a flaming inner movement, through which longing and desire will continually grow. If, however, he is sluggish in the movement of his limbs, the movement of his spirit will die down and be extinguished.
Experience testifies to this.
It is known that what is most preferred in Divine service is desire of the heart and longing of the soul. And it is in relation to his goodly portion in this respect that David exulted (Psalm 42: 2), "As a heart yearns for the water-brooks, so does my soul yearn for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God." "My soul longs and goes out for the courts of God (Psalm 84: 3): 'My soul thirsts for You; my flesh pines for You' (Psalm 63: 2). The man in whom this longing does not burn as it should would do well to bestir himself by force of will so that, as a result, this longing will spring up in his nature; for outer movements awaken inner ones. Unquestionably a person has more control of his outer than of his inner self, but if he makes use of what he can control, he will acquire, in consequence, even that which is not within the province of his control. For as a result of the willed quickening of his movements, there will arise in him an inner joy and a desire and a longing. As the Prophet says (Hosea 6: 3) And let us know — let us run to know God" and (Hosea 11: 10), "After God will they go, who will roar like a lion."
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