It is well known that Tzadikim would do tremendous hachanos before performing a mitzvah. They valued mitzvos so much that they couldn’t allow themselves to just “do it”. They put in heart and soul, deep kavanos and lofty preparations so that the mitzvah would be performed on the highest level.
This doesn’t mean that we should never jump to do a mitzvah. On the contrary, it’s considered praiseworthy to grab the opportunity to do a mitzvah with zerizus and zeal. But there are times when we must contemplate what we are about to do, for example, tefillah. No, we shouldn’t just jump into a shachris or minchah. The proper way is to take time, think about what we are about to do, reflect on the tremendous privilege and awesome opportunity. Only then should we open our siddur, in the proper frame of mind to speak to our Creator.
R’ Leibele Eiger was asked to be sandek at a bris, and he told the baal hasimcha that he won’t be able to be there until right before shkiah. The reason for this was because the preparation he does for a mitzvah takes him a long time. The Lubliner Rav was upset because especially by mila there is a mitzvah of zerizus, to do it as early as possible. Rav Shimon Sofer said if not for the Torah telling us that we have to do mila on the eighth day, we would certainly do it on the first day of birth since the arla is very bad for the child. But the Torah commands us to perform the mitzvah on the eighth day, and so we do it then. There is no zerizus prior to the eighth day. So too, the z’chus of having R’ Leibele Eiger as the sandek is worth more than the zerizus of doing it earlier.
The truth is that generally speaking, a bris should be made as early as possible. This was an exception. Rav Tzadok Hakohen also gave the ba’al hasimcha a letter saying that since Rav Leibele is a big Tzadik, the bris becomes more chashuv by a having him as a sandek. He explains that the whole idea to make a bris early is because “zerizin makdimin l’mitzvos”. He notes that it doesn’t say “zerizin makdimin es hamitzvah”, that you have to do the mitzvah’ early; rather, it says “l’mitzvos”. This difference in wording teaches us that you have to start preparing for the mitzvah early. As long as you start the hachonos for the mitzvah early, you fulfill this chazal. Certainly, Reb Leibele qualified for “zerizin makdimin l’mitzvos”, as he started his hachanos early on in the day, just it took him hours and hours. So even if one ends up doing the mitzvah late in the day, as long as he started his preparations early on, he’s considered a zariz l’mitzvah.
Tzaddikim say that the preparation for a mitzvah can be even greater than the mitzvah itself. This is when a person puts his heart and soul into the preparation, with a true excitement and a tremendous cheshek to do the mitzvah.
The Be’er Mayim Chaim points out that when the passuk says “Vayamal Avraham es bino ben shemonas yamim”, it doesn’t say “ben shemone yamim”. “Ben shemone yamim” would mean on the eighth day, whereas “ben shemonas yamim” means all eight days. This teaches us that when Hashem told Avraham Avinu to do the bris for his son, he had an enormous teshuka to fulfill the mitzvah right away. He couldn’t wait until the eighth day, but he had no choice but to wait as Hashem said. So each day of those eight days, Avraham Avinu felt a pressure and a teshuka, a yearning and a longing to be mekayem the mitzvah. So Hashem gave him credit and considered it as if he did it all eight days.
When there’s a mitzvah that needs to get done, zerizus is a most important ingredient. It shows our excitement and enthusiasm. However, let us not forget to prepare ourselves as well. Proper thought is essential in putting us into the right frame of mind to fulfill the will of Hashem.
