The Gemara (Shabbat 88a) describes how a heretic criticized Rava for losing his situational awareness while studying Torah. As a result of his deep thinking, Rava failed to notice that he was crushing his own fingers. The heretic exclaimed that Rava was a member of an impulsive nation. At Sinai his ancestors acted hastily when they committed to accept the mitzvot before hearing what they were and seeing if they could actually fulfill them. The heretic then accused Rava of continuing to behave impulsively and thoughtlessly by focusing so intensely on his studies at the expense of everything else.
The Gemara in Ketubot (112a) relates a similar story with respect to moving to Eretz Yisrael. Rabi Zeira, in his haste to enter the land of Israel, crossed a river by walking across a narrow plank of wood when no boat was available. A nearby Sadducee, who saw this seemingly reckless behavior criticized Rabi Zeira’s and his ancestors’ impulsivity. Just as his ancestors acted impulsively when they accepted the Torah before knowing its contents, so too Rabi Zeira ran across the river without thinking his actions through. Rabi Zeira responded by saying that time was of the essence. Moshe and Aharon had not merited entry into the land. He feared that the slightest delay might prevent his entry as well.
In fact, Rava’s actions in Mesechet Shabbat, Rabi Zeira’s in Mesechet Ketubot and Bnei Yisrael’s at Sinai were not impulsive decisions. The heretics completely misunderstood the circumstances and contexts. While they may have looked like impulsive decisions, they were actually intuitive decisions. Often it is hard for the outsider to distinguish between the two. Rava’s entire life was about learning Torah as it is the key to the world’s existence. As such, it required his total concentration, even if it came at the cost of some physical discomfort. Rabi Zeira understood the centrality of living in Eretz Yisrael and he was cognizant of the many obstacles that could prevent his successful immigration. Realizing the fleeting window of opportunity, he intuitively knew that he had to cross the river on the plank despite the risk involved. And of course Bnei Yisrael following the Revelation at Sinai intuitively knew they had to accept the Torah. The challenges that may await them as they did their best to fulfill the mitzvot had no bearing on the obvious necessity to accept the Torah.
The phrase “naaseh v’nishma” has become our people’s mantra. The mere reversal of those two words would have changed history. While there will be times that a leader’s choice of words will matter less than their gist, like Eisenhower’s order to launch D-Day, most of the time a leader’s choice and order of words will make a world of difference. That world of difference might just make a difference in the world.