Doing mitzvos with enthusiasm: be light as an eagle

Ever watch a kid get asked to fetch something and move like they're wading through wet cement? Now picture that same kid when you mention an amusement park. Suddenly they're up at dawn, bags packed, bouncing on their toes. The difference isn't energy. It's enthusiasm, and Rabbi Siddur shows us how to bring that same fire to doing mitzvos with enthusiasm.

What Pirkei Avos says about doing mitzvos with enthusiasm

There's a famous Mishna in Pirkei Avos. Rabbi Yehuda ben Teima teaches us to be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, quick as a deer, and strong as a lion to do the will of our Father in Heaven. That's four powerful animals, and each one is telling us something.

The message is clear. Hashem doesn't just want us to do mitzvos. He wants us to do them with feeling. As Chazal say, Rachmana liba ba'ei, Hashem desires the heart. He's infinite. He doesn't need you to eat a Matzah so He can enjoy the crunch. He's giving you a precious opportunity, and how you grab it shows how much you care.

The dirt and the soul inside you

So why is it so hard to move quickly for the right things? Rabbi Siddur gives us a beautiful answer. You're made of two parts. Your body comes from dirt, and dirt doesn't go anywhere on its own. It just sits there. That's the physical nature in all of us. It wants to stay put and take the easy route.

But there's also a Neshama inside you, and it wants to rise. It wants to soar. Every single time you push yourself to do a mitzvah faster and with more joy than usual, you're overcoming your dirt. You're animating it. This is the mussar path of self-awareness, recognizing which part of you is pulling the strings. In our video on performing mitzvos with enthusiasm, Rabbi Siddur brings this idea to life in a way the whole family will remember.

Why we chase excitement in all the wrong places

Think about it. People wake up at 2 in the morning for a ski trip, haul heavy equipment up a mountain, all so they can fall down and maybe break a leg. Nobody complains about the early start. Why? Because they want to be there.

We only put off the things we don't really care about. When your best friend comes to visit, you don't say "tell them I'm in my room." You run to greet them. You show them they matter. That same instinct is exactly how we want to treat mitzvos, and it's exactly how we want Hashem to look at us in return.

Be light as an eagle

The Mishna says to be light as an eagle. A bird is a physical thing, made of the same world we are. Yet it spreads its wings and flies above it all. That's the whole point. You have the ability to lift yourself out of the heaviness of this world. You can defy your own limitations and become a little more like an angel.

When we do mitzvos with that kind of lift, with zrizus and real feeling, we're not just checking a box. We're declaring that Torah matters to us, that Hashem matters to us. And in difficult times for Am Yisrael, that enthusiasm becomes a source of real strength.

Simple ways to add enthusiasm today

Here are a few actionable steps you can try right now:

Greet one mitzvah like a best friend. Pick one mitzvah today, maybe saying a Bracha, and do it like you've been waiting all day for it. Notice how different it feels.

Beat your own clock. When a parent or spouse asks you for help, move a little faster than your body wants. That extra push is you overcoming the dirt.

Slow down where it counts. Enthusiasm isn't the same as rushing. Do a mitzvah with care and feeling, not like a quicky Mincha. Quality shows you care.

Name the two parts. When you feel lazy, pause and ask, is this my dirt talking or my Neshama? Simply noticing the pull helps your soul win.

Picture the eagle. Before a mitzvah, imagine spreading your wings. Let that image lift you above the heaviness for just a moment.

When you build these small habits, your dirt starts to move. Your soul starts to lead.

Bringing it home

Remember that kid dragging their feet, then sprinting for the amusement park? The difference was never ability. It was wanting it. Doing mitzvos with enthusiasm means treating Hashem's opportunities like the greatest adventure of all, and spreading your wings to fly above the dirt.

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