29 Apr DON’T DELAY

Imagine, if one was
to gather the ultimate
anthology, he would go to
Rav Shvadron, Zt”l, and
ask him to sift through
all of his teachings and
choose the most powerful
one. Then, he would go
to Rabbi Yissacher Frand, Shlit”a, and ask
him to look through his drashos and relate
the one statement he has made during his
career that he feels made the biggest impact
upon his audiences. Then, he would go to
Rav Yisroel Reisman, Shlit”a, and ask for his
most riveting teaching. He would then listen
to all of the tapes of Rabbi Avigdor Miller,
Zt”l, and hand pick the single, most-timely
message. Finally, he would do this with all
the greatest teachers of the last one hundred
years.
Wouldn’t we drool over the chance to learn
from such a compilation? How we would
drink from its wisdom and try to emulate its
ethics and morals.
In truth, we have such a sefer and it is
infinitely more precious, Pirkei Avos. It
contains the greatest sayings of the greatest
Sages of the Tannaic period. For example,
Shimon HaTzaddik was so-called because
he was the most righteous person of his
generation and, in Pirkei Avos, there is but

one Mishna recording his teachings. We
can imagine that Shimon HaTzaddik, the
preeminent tzaddik of his generation and the
Kohen Gadol, spent a lifetime educating the
masses and directing them to a life of Torah
and morality. Yet, there is only one Mishna
of his lessons. Thus, Pirkei Avos contains the
crème de la crème of the most outstanding
sages of that most extraordinary era of Torah
knowledge.
With this in mind, we should have great
excitement, exhilaration, and thirst, when we
open up the rarified teachings of Pirkei Avos.
Let’s choose one lesson from this lofty
collection. In the Second Perek of the Mishna,
Hillel says, “Al tomer lichshe’efneh eshneh,
shema lo tiponeh – Don’t say when you
will have leisure you will study, for perhaps
you will never find the time.” This Mishna
reveals to us one of the most potent weapons
of the Yeitzer Hara, the evil inclination:
His ability to thwart people from a life of
Torah and mitzvahs through the device of
procrastination. He suggests to a working
father/husband, ‘Listen, you can’t learn now.
You’re busy supporting a family. You need
to make ends meet. And then of course, you
need to relax a little. Otherwise you’ll end up
in the hospital. There’ll be plenty of time to
learn when you retire. Don’t worry, in your
golden years you’ll sit in a Beis HaMedrash

in Netanya or in Miami Beach and study
loads of Torah.’ And sadly, when our
husband/father retires, his eyes are failing,
his memory is waning, his concentration
is not what it used to be, and his sitzfleisch
(ability to sit in one place) is not there. How
sad that he lost all the precious years when he
was in full strength to utilize all of his senses
for our main mission on earth and the eternal
essence of life which is the study of Torah.
Sometimes, the Yeitzer Hara pushes us off
until the summer – and then in the summer

he tells us that we need to rest in order to re-
charge our batteries before the coming winter.

Other times he says to wait until Shabbos,
but then, after the heavy meals and after the
long hard workweek, the body just caves in
– and he wins again. He uses this trick also
when it comes to such campaigns as being
marbeh sedra, that all-important Jewish
charge to review the Torah portion of the
week. He tells us, ‘Listen, it’s the middle of
the year already. You don’t like to do things
in halves. So, start next time by parshas
Bereishis. Next year you’ll do it, you’ll see.’
How many times have we been fooled by that
trick? Let’s respond to the Yeitzer Hara, ‘You
know what, I’ll start now. After all, these are
the parshios of Bamidbar and Devarim that I
didn’t learn so well in yeshiva.’ Or tell him
urgently the convincing argument, ‘I’ll start
now and I’ll have finished the whole Torah
by this time next year.’ What about Daf
HaYomi where so many people are fooled
by him to think that they have to wait
until the world starts Masechtas Berachos.
That’s ridiculous. Anytime you start Daf

HaYomi, you finish Shas in seven and one-
half years. What a wise move to start now

and get Masechtas Shevuos (even though
it’s a very challenging masechta) with the
rest of the Daf Yomi olam.
But, this sagacious advice is not just
reserved for the study of Torah. It is true
for all the mitzvahs as well. Chazal teach
us the fundamental lesson, “Ein attah ela
lashon teshuva – The word attah (spelled
with an ayin, meaning now) only refers to
repentance.” This vital saying teaches us
that, if you want to change and turn over
a new leaf, you have to seize the moment
when the thought of teshuvah crosses your
mind and act upon it immediately. If not,
the Yeitzer Hara will successfully stall and
delay until the routine of life distracts you
from your resolve.
Let’s take a common example. You open
up your Siddur and you say the daily psalm,
and you realize that you don’t know what
you’re saying. You simply don’t know the
meaning of the words. With chagrin, you
say to yourself, ‘I better learn the translation
of this.’ Don’t succumb to pushing it off
to an undetermined later date. Look at
the English translation there and then and
seize the moment! When you bow down
at Modim in the middle of Shemone Esrei

and jog yourself from your day-dreaming and
you ruefully think to yourself, ‘One of these
days I’d better start having kavanah,’ don’t
let yourself postpone such a fine attitude.
Rather say, I’ll start right now with the rest
of Shemone Esrei and Ashrei, U’va L’Tzion!
This is the only way to improve, to act upon
it as soon as the thought comes to your mind
– before the Yeitzer Hara can reestablish the
status quo.
This rule holds true for all the other mitzvahs
as well. Bocherim: When it comes to Kivud
Av v’Eim, don’t say, ‘One of these days I’d
better start calling my parents or writing
them letters.’ Start now!
Husbands and wives: Don’t muse to yourself,
‘You know, I gotta get around to putting
more effort into my marriage.’ Do it now!
Go out and buy a gift for your spouse. Give
a compliment or a helping hand. Don’t let
the Yeitzer Hara push it off. The same thing
is true for our responsibility to the children.
Don’t let the Yeitzer Hara deceive you into
thinking that when the economy gets better
you’ll have more time or when they get older
it will be easier. These are all just tricks of
the Sly One.
May it be the will of Hashem that we succeed
in acting with alacrity to improve our Torah
and mitzvahs and, in that merit, may Hashem
bless us with long life, good health, and
everything wonderful.