As much as I believe in the timeless quality of this book, I had long suspected that chapter nine focuses on an eighteenth century societal problem that has ceased to be an issue. The detailed treatment of the fears that keep people indoors and under the covers does not resonate with my personal experience and lacks the bite that I have come to expect from the Mesilas Yesharim. Frankly, my lack of Zerizus has little to do with the Halachic parameters of when I should or should not be afraid of the weather. I offer no excuses and I make no claims of fear. I'm just plain lazy.
A careful reading of the chapter raises more serious question: Is the fear Luzzatto speaks of real, or is it a farce? On the one hand, he encourages the reader to overcome his fears with faith, quoting Tehillim (37:3), "Rely on Hashem!" This certainly implies that we are dealing with an authentic fear. On the other hand, Luzzatto characterizes the fear as sinful, implying that the person is just using it as an excuse.
Another thing that causes the loss of Zerizus is an excessive fear and a great terror of the times and its events. Sometimes he will be afraid of the cold or the heat, sometimes accidents, sometimes illness, sometimes the wind, and all other such similar things... Our sages have already derided this characteristic and associated it with sinners... to the point that when one of the great [sages] saw his student frightened, he said, "You are a sinner!"
Luzzatto explains the sin with a Midrash that mocks people's excuses.
They tell the lazy man, "Your rabbi is in the city, go learn Torah from him!" He responds to them, "I am frightened of the lion on the road." "Your rabbi is in the neighborhood!" He says to them, "I am frightened there might be a lion in the alley." They tell him, "He is in your house!" He says to them, "If I go to him I'll find the door locked." They tell him, "It is open!" When he has nothing left to say, he tells them, "Whether the door is open or locked, I would like to take a short nap."
Luzzatto ends with this cutting observation: "It is not fear that is causing him to be lazy; it is laziness that is causing him to be frightened."
Apparently, the fears of this chapter are not only irrational, they are non-existent. This person is not afraid at all, he is just inventing excuses. But if this is the case, why does Luzzatto honor such "fears" with an entire chapter? Why take pains to distinguish between "appropriate fear" and "foolish fear" as if we had a Halachic question, and why define the limits of Bitachon as if this were a theological discussion? We are dealing with an unabashed liar! He is not afraid, he is a lazy sinner! Why validate a lie? Our author should call a spade a spade, not engage in dialogue.
After years of shrugging shoulders, I finally cracked the mystery last week. The answer can be found in the first chapter on Zerizus, chapter six.
If you challenge the lazy man, he will bring you many quotes from the sayings of the sages, verses from Scripture, and rational arguments, all of which, according to his confused opinion, teach him to be lenient and permit him to indulge his laziness. He fails to recognize that these arguments and these rationales are not founded on his objective thought, but flow from his laziness. As [his laziness] overpowers him, it influences his opinions and his mind towards these arguments...
It is a terrifying prospect. We naturally assume that our dearly-held opinions are rational, but the truth is that laziness influences the way we think and we don't even realize it.
After diagnosing the problem, Luzzatto deals with it the only way he can. To criticize laziness would be ineffective, for this person is convinced of the validity of his position. The "fear" began life as a lame excuse, but eventually the mind was hijacked and now he believes it. Luzzatto is thus forced to respect the fallacy and debate it, for the lazy man really is frightened. And so Luzzatto takes the time to demolish these nonsensical arguments. The mind must be healed first.
Clear thinking is not merely the solution to a peculiar side effect of laziness. It is a critical step in the system of growth described by this book. The poisoning of the subconscious by our negative drives is one of Luzzatto's central themes and the cleansing process is described in the next chapter, in the introduction to Nekius:
The trait of Nekius is [achieved] when a person is completely cleansed of every negative trait and from all sin... His vision will be completely clear, his judgement pure, and desires will not influence him... The Zahir is careful with his behavior and makes sure not to violate what he already knows and is popularly accepted to be a sin. However, [the Zahir] is not yet a master over himself to prevent his heart from being drawn towards the natural desires, that they should not influence him... However, after man trains himself greatly in this Zehirus, achieving the initial cleansing from the well-known sins, and [then] trains himself in the service [of mitzvos] and its Zerizus, and the love for his creator and the yearning for Him intensifies - the force of this training will distance him from materialism and focus his mind on self-perfection until he is finally able to achieve a complete cleansing... His vision will then be pure and clear, like I wrote above, so that he won't be seduced nor influenced by his dark, material nature and his behavior will be totally cleansed.
In short, the goal of the Zehirus-Zerizus-Nekius program is clear thinking and objective judgement, unclouded by desires. Debunking the lazy man is not just a practical matter of acquiring Zerizus. More fundamentally, it is required for the Nekius of the mind.
Once upon a time, people lived with a heightened sense of mortality. Ancient Israelites had to contend with mountain lions on the streets. Before modern medicine, the common cold could kill. In such an environment, staying balanced took mental effort and a strong faith. Today we feel secure and, for better or worse, generally don't worry about such things. Although we do not share the fears of Luzzatto's lazy man, we certainly have much to learn from his diagnosis and treatment. Regardless of the century you happen to be living in, laziness poisons the mind of man.
The bite is back!
