Is Your Efficiency Actually a Form of Procrastination? - Beshalach

I have a compulsive need to fix systems. If something takes ten clicks, I feel driven to make it take two. Over the years, that urge has shown up as Excel formulas, then macros, and now AI prompts and Power Automate. The thinking is always the same: If I just build the perfect engine now, the rest of life will run smoothly. What I usually realize too late is the trap. In trying to save time for the future, I completely spend the present.

That mindset shows up clearly in this week’s Parsha, Beshalach. The Jewish people stood at the Yam Suf as the Egyptians closed in. Moshe turned to tefillah, and Hashem stopped him. “Ma titzak eilai?” Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the people and let them move. Rashi explains that while tefillah matters, there is a moment when action takes over. The sea split because Nachshon stepped forward and walked in, not because of perfect planning.

I realized my automations are often my modern version of "crying out." They are useful tools, but they can also be a place to hide. Preparation feels safe and controlled; action feels messy and uncertain. We often confuse the two and call it progress. This week, I am trying to notice when efficiency turns into avoidance and choose movement over optimization. If this shows up for you, consider joining me.

Good Shabbos

All the best,

Avroham Yehudah Ross