Passion Vs. Apathy
There is a humorous anecdote told of an English studies teacher who once asked her student, “What's the difference between ignorance & apathy?" to which the disinterested student replies, "I don't know and I don't care".
In truth, the two are actually closely linked.
The lack of education can lead to indifference, and a lack of interest can result in ignorance. However, passion is the key to success and personal growth. Without it, we can quickly become jaded and lethargic, leading to career burnout and a disconnect to family and friends. With passion, we can remain optimistic, upbeat, and satisfied with our careers, and our relationships can flourish.
In this week's Torah portion Tzav, in sequence to the theme of the Temple sacrifices from the previous week, G-d instructs the Jewish people, “A continuous fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not go out.” -Leviticus Chapter 6:6
Throughout the 40 years in the desert and the subsequent Temple period in Israel, this eternal flame remained lit at all times.
One of the reasons that the Torah scroll lacks vowels or punctuation marks, is because in addition to the literal meaning of the text, there are hidden subtleties, deeper meanings, and eternal lessons which may be gleaned from the nuances, context, various spellings and juxtaposition of the text.
The Magid of Mezeritch (1704-1772) explains that the word “not” in the above verse can also be referring to the negative aspects of our lives. Therefore, the verse can be understood as follows: “If the [inner] fire [of the heart] is kept burning continuously, it will extinguish all negativity.”
Represented by the Ner Tamid displayed in many synagogues today, the continuous flame also has a deeper significance for our personal lives and professional careers.
We each have a personal Temple, a sacred and wholesome space, within our minds and hearts. While we may not be aware of it during ordinary times, we have the ability to tap into those reservoirs of love, faith, and connection during reflective moments or in times of need.
The Torah is instructing us to ensure that our inner flame and passion is lit and apparent at all times, both during ordinary or joyous times and during challenging moments as well. This flame will help us overcome all negativity which may try to dampen our moods.
Just as a physical fire requires fuel to remain lit, so too, our inner flame requires its fuel to sustain itself and keep our passion alive.
In his book the Tanya, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812) gives an analogy from a wrestling match:
"It is with the service of G‑d just as it is with a victory over a physical opponent. For instance, two people who wrestle with each other, each striving to fell the other.
If one of them is lazy and sluggish, he will easily be defeated and will fall, even if he is stronger than the other, since his laziness and sluggishness prevent him from revealing his strength.
Similarly with the conquest of one's evil nature, It is impossible to conquer the evil nature with laziness and sluggishness, which stem from sadness and a stonelike dullness of the heart, but rather with alacrity, which derives from joy and an open i.e., responsive heart that is unblemished by any trace of worry and sadness in the world."
As King Solomon famously taught, “And I (King Solomon) saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness.” (Ecclesiastes 2:13)
Now, do we need King Solomon to teach us that? Isn't it obvious that wisdom and light surpasses foolishness and darkness?
Tanya explains that this statement is also expressing to us how to overcome foolishness and darkness. We can not chase away darkness with negativity, rather we must light a candle. Just as a little light dispels a lot of darkness, so too, the performance of even one Mitzvah, setting aside even a few minutes of our day to study Torah, and going out of our way to help someone else in need, provides vital fuel for our inner flame to shine and it removes our negative feelings and impulses.
If we experience or encounter negativity, darkness, and challenges within our self or the world around us, we must counter it by adding more positivity, light, and warmth.
We must never underestimate the power of one good deed. As Maimonides states,
“Throughout the entire year, a person should always look at himself as equally balanced between merit and sin and the world as equally balanced between merit and sin… if he performs one mitzvah, he tips his balance and that of the entire world to the side of merit and brings deliverance and salvation to himself and others”.
