Making Hasty Decisions

A story that got less publicity, was the incidental mention of און בן פלת from the tribe of Reuven. The Gemara in סנהדרין says that the name “און” reflects אנינות, which is a form of mourning.

The term אונן refers to one who has learned of the passing of a loved one. He is exempt from all of the Mitzvot of the Torah because he is focused on giving a proper burial.

In the case of און, he was mourning and remorseful of having made a very foolish, regrettable decision. Thanks to his intelligent wife, he was able to realize that he had nothing to gain by joining Korach and his rebellion.

Often, we are not as lucky as און to be shown the correct path before we make very bad decisions that take a long time to fix. The Book of Mishlei has numerous recommendations to think before we act. We are told to seek advice before making major decisions in our life.

While it is a good idea to have the character trait of זריזות, where we observe the Torah with enthusiasm and alacrity, this does not mean that we should act without thinking.

This is a lesson learned from און בן פלת, who was rescued by his wife, but felt horrible that he nearly made a fatal decision.