Defiant Motivations for Mitzvot

Now Korah took. What is written above the matter? “... and tell them to make tassels (zizit) for themselves” Korah quickly said to Moses, “In the case of a prayer shawl (tallit) which is all blue, what is the rule about it being exempt from [having] the tassel?” Moses said to him, “it is required to have the tassels.” Korah said to him, “Would not a prayer shawl which is all blue exempt itself, when four threads exempt it?

In the case of a house which is full of [scriptural] books, what is the rule about it being exempt from mezuzah?” [Moses] said to him, “It is required to have the mezuzah.” [Korah] said to him, “Since the whole Torah has two hundred and seventy-five parashiot in it and they do not exempt the house, would the two parashiot which are in the mezuzah exempt the house?”

[He also] said to him, “These are things about which you have not been commanded. Rather you are inventing them out of your own heart.”

Empty heads ask, “What did Moses do on the mount for 40 days and 40 nights?” They do not know that if Moses spent this number and double its double in years with God, he would barely know one part of a thousand of God’s work and ways and the secret of all the precepts which God commanded him. They think that deeds are most important. This is not so. What is important is heart together with deed. Heart and tongue train a person [to observe the commandments]. We thus read, "in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it" Our ancients said, “God desires the heart.” Loving God and cleaving to the Lord with all of one’s soul are the basis of the commandments. This cannot be completely accomplished if a person does not know the ways of the Lord and is not acquainted with God’s work in the upper and lower worlds. The prophet thus states, "but let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me."

As Rebbi Mana said: “For it is not an empty word, from you,” if it is empty it is from you because you do not exert yourself about it. “Because it is your life,” when is it your life? At the time that you exert yourself!

You are to keep [them], you are to observe [them], for they [will be] wisdom-for-you and understanding-for-you in the eyes of the peoples who, when they hear all these laws, will say: Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation!

THERE are persons who find it difficult to give a reason for any of the commandments, and consider it right to assume that the commandments and prohibitions have no rational basis whatever. They are led to adopt this theory by a disease in their soul, the existence of which they perceive, but which they are unable to discuss or to describe. For they imagine that these precepts, if they were useful in any respect, and were commanded because of their usefulness, would seem to originate in the thought and reason of some intelligent being. But as things which are not objects of reason and serve no purpose, they would undoubtedly be attributed to God, because no thought of man could have produced them. According to the theory of those weak-minded persons, man is more perfect than his Creator. For what man says or does has a certain object, while the actions of God are different; He commands us to do what is of no use to us, and forbids us to do what is harmless. Chalilah! On the contrary, the whole object of the Law is to benefit us.

And everything in the Torah in general and in detail, all of it are words of wisdom. And not like he thought that the details of the laws they don't have a reason at all because then it would not be a Torah of wisdom.

...“the Elokim before whom my ancestors walked”. For the definition of Elokim is “master of all powers”, meaning that they grasped the matters of the upper and lower powers; the statutes of heaven and earth and those who enforce them; and the patterns of their behaviors, relationships, and how they are assembled via all the contexts of human actions. According to this pattern and context, each one of them caused himself to act and behave in all his situations, because he saw and grasped the lofty rectifications according to the root of his soul-Neshama.

Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, your God ה׳, am holy.

Thus after warning with detailed laws regarding all business dealings between people, such as not to steal or rob or to wrong one another, and other similar prohibitions, He said in general, And you shall do that which is right and good, thus including under a positive commandment the duty of doing that which is right and of agreeing to a compromise; as well as all requirements to act “beyond” the line of justice for the sake of pleasing one’s fellowman... Similarly, in the case of the Sabbat, He prohibited doing certain classes of work by means of a negative commandment, and painstaking labor. He included under a general positive commandment, as it is said, but on the seventh day you shall rest.

(8) It is appropriate for a person to meditate on the judgments of the holy Torah and know their ultimate purpose according to his capacity. If he cannot find a reason or a motivating rationale for a practice, he should not regard it lightly. Nor should he break through to ascend to God, lest God burst forth against him.