Every once in a while, I write a d’var Torah as a public service, an area from which we may all benefit. The Rambam (Hilchos Bi’as Mikdash 2:5) writes: “A Kohen who leaves the Bais HaMikdash during the Avodah, while he is preparing the sacred service, may be punished by death – regardless of his position – be it Kohen Gadol or Kohen Hedyot. He derives this from the above pasuk, adding that one should not forsake the sacred service and run out as if in a rush, confused or disturbed. Furthermore, even if he hears news (death of a family member) which renders him an onan, mourner prior to the burial, during which time he is prohibited from performing the service, he still may not “run out” of the Bais HaMikdash. Understandably, this presents an image of ceding importance to something other than the sacred service.
Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, takes this ruling to a practical level. How often does it happen that one has an important appointment or business meeting to attend – right after Shacharis? What does one usually do? He hurries to daven with a sense of false urgency, as if his tefillah is secondary to his appointment – which he, by his rush, indicates is the reality to him. Is this not to be viewed as leaving the Sanctuary in a rushed state? Obviously, no one is perfect and each person responds to his appointments differently – but do we even bother to think about what we are doing? Do we realize that we just “rushed” Hashem in order to attend a personal meeting? We are, in effect, severing our personal relationship with Hashem to attend to an urgency which, at the moment, seems to be more important.
The phone rings during bentching, as it often does. Suddenly, the person who is supposedly bentching with full kavanah, intention, becomes a little anxious. After all, it may be an important call. Every call is potentially important. Is it important enough to drop our conversation with Hashem? Obviously not, but we do not think that way. We hurry up the bentching, because it might be an important call.
A distinguished Rav was flying from Eretz Yisrael to America with a short layover in Paris. He moved to a corner of the Paris airport to daven Minchah. Suddenly, they announced his flight was boarding early. In order to make his connection, he would have to hurry his Shemoneh Esrai. He decided that davening was more important. As a result, he was forced to spend the night in Paris and wait for the next flight. In the end, he took the next flight and even located his suitcases which were waiting for him. It was a challenge to make the correct decision. In the end, however, he was doing what Hashem asked of him. That is what matters.
