“One sheep should be offered in the morning, and the second sheep in the afternoon.” (Shemos 29:39)
Each morning at dawn, Beethoven made himself coffee with exactly 60 beans — he counted them each time. He’d then compose until 3 p.m., go for a long walk, have supper, a pipe, and turn in for an early bedtime.
These details, together with many other examples of philosophers, artists, composers, and writers, come from a book by Mason Currey entitled Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get to Work. The book’s main point: Most creative people have daily rituals. One could even call them boring. These form the soil in which the seeds of their invention grow, because being creative involves hard work.
The Hebrew word for hard work is avodah. It also means “serving G-d.” What applies in the arts, sciences, and business, applies equally to the life of the spirit. Achieving any form of spiritual growth requires sustained effort and daily rituals (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Covenant and Conversation).
I have a split personality. On the one hand, I’m extremely spontaneous and creative and can’t be bothered with rules and regulations that may interfere with my innovative output.
On the other hand, I have strong yekkish genes that govern my day and lead me to show up embarrassingly early to weddings — imagine, at the time that’s printed on the invitation!
The Maharal quotes an aggadic passage in which various sages put forward their idea of the best klal (rule) in the Torah. Shema was mentioned, as was loving your neighbor. But Ben Pazi suggested the pasuk above, regarding the specific times for korbanos. Nowadays, we’d reference that as Shacharis, Minchah, and Maariv. In a word: “routine.” And the law follows Ben Pazi.
All the high ideals in the world count for little until they’re turned into habits of action that become habits of the heart. We can all recall moments of inspiration. A while later, those thoughts have become might-have-beens. The people who change the world are those who turn peak experiences into daily routines, who’ve developed the discipline of hard work, sustained over time. Judaism’s greatness is that it takes high ideals and exalted visions — emunah, loving your neighbor — and turns them into patterns of behavior — halachah — that involve routines.
Before I was married, spontaneity ruled. I got everything I needed done, but on my own terms and times.
After marriage and having kids, timetables took over, featuring important stuff like school buses, homework assignments, and orthodontist appointments.
