Don’t Miss the Opportunity
Rabbi Elimelech Biderman
Have you ever seen hand matzos being prepared? There is an atmosphere of zerizus in the bakery. Everyone is rushing because they must be made quickly.
This is appropriate because we eat matzah on Pesach to remember that Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim quickly; we didn’t even have time to let the dough rise. As it states (12:1) ושמרתם את המצות, "guard the matzos" to make them quickly so they don't become chametz.
Rashi finds another meaning in the passuk. He writes, "Don’t read it מצות, matzos, read it מצוות , mitzvos. Because just as we don’t allow the matzos to become chametz, we shouldn’t let the mitzvos become chametz. When a mitzvah comes your way, perform it right away."
So, the passuk is telling us to guard the matzos so that they don’t become chametz, and it is also telling us to perform the mitzvos with alacrity and zerizus.
Now, let us read the entire passuk. It states (12:17), "And you shall watch over the matzos, for on this very day I have taken your legions out of the land of Egypt, and you shall observe this day throughout your generations, [as] an everlasting statute."
The Torah connects our obligation to guard the matzos to yetzias Mitzrayim. Now, if we read the word מצות as matzos, like Rashi’s first explanation, the passuk is understood. It is saying, “Make certain that the matzos don’t become chametz to remember that Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim quickly.” But, according to Rashi's second interpretation, that passuk is discussing being cautious in performing the mitzvos immediately. How is this associated with Hashem taking us out of Mitzrayim?
The Ksav Sofer zt”l explains:
Chazal tell us that if the Yidden were in Mitzrayim another moment, they would fall into the 50th gate of tumah, from which there is no return. The passuk says that when an opportunity comes your way, grab it immediately. Remember what happened at yetzias Mitzrayim. Hashem had to take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim swiftly because if they waited another moment, they would fall into the 50th gate of tumah, and then they would never be redeemed. The opportunity would have been lost.
Therefore, we should be cautious with the mitzvos to perform them as quickly as possible because if we push them off for later, we might lose the opportunity.
