Not all of the challenges raised by modern life to Torah
living are new. Some were familiar to earlier generations.
Unfortunately, the extensive collective experience we have
with them does not make them easier for us to meet.
One of the most serious challenges to Torah life is the
activity level of each individual in modern society. Everyone
today, from age five to 90, is busy, busy, busy. Little
children have so much to do that they almost need an
appointment book, and even people on retirement are so full
of activities that they have virtually no free time.
Individually, each of the things that occupies us is
important and may be vital. But collectively, they can be
overwhelming.
There are the demands of career and family. We must certainly
remain "well-informed" about what is going on in our
community and around the world. We must set aside time for
learning Torah (if that is not our career), and there is the
daily davening and our material needs. Many have
significant social responsibilities that demand spending
significant amounts of time at simchas and communal
events.
While everyone complains about the "rat race," we do not
always realize how serious a problem it is for someone who
wants to live a true Torah life. The complaints about the
pace of modern life are that it is too demanding, but the
desired relief is to have more relaxation and pleasure. There
is insufficient awareness of the true consequences for a
person's spiritual development.
The press of life figures prominently in the Mesillas
Yeshorim as one of the things that interferes with
zehirus, caution, the first and most basic step along
the path described in that fundamental work to properly serve
Hashem.
At the beginning of the second chapter, the Mesillas
Yeshorim says that people in ancient times were "rushing
and going willy nilly in their habitual ways, without leaving
time for themselves to consider their deeds and ways." He
says that this is one of the tricks of the yetzer
hora. " . . . his cunning is to make everyone work
constantly, very hard, and to weigh on people's hearts so
that there will be no opportunity to contemplate and to see
the path they are following. For he knows that if they but
pay the slightest heed to their ways they will no doubt
immediately begin to regret their deeds. And their regret
will become stronger until they abandon the sin entirely."
This basic need for time to think, in contrast to the daily
routine that prevents one from thinking, is fundamental and
essential. If one takes time for reflection, he is almost
guaranteed success. If not, . . .
This is made very clear by the Mesillas Yeshorim in
chapter 5. "Engagement [with the world] is necessary for man
for purposes of parnossoh, but excessive engagement is
not, and it should not become so great that it leaves him no
space for his avodoh. Therefore we were commanded to
set aside regular times for Torah. We have already mentioned
that this is most necessary for man in order to reach
zehirus, as R' Pinchos said, Torah brings to
zehirus, and without it he will absolutely not reach
it."
In the time of Yirmiyohu Hanovi people were not kept busy
with telephones, email and newspapers. But the challenge was
there to be met, and today, we must overcome it in the form
that it presents itself to us.
We must set aside regular time for Torah study, and regular
time for reflection and evaluation of what we have done and
plan to do. That is the way -- and the only way according to
the Mesillas Yeshorim -- to zehirus which is
the first and crucial step on the path of the yeshorim
that leads to yiras Hashem and kedushoh.
