Posted on 11/04/24
L’Tov Lanu
Moshe Rabbeinu uses his last words, eternalized by Sefer Devarim, to encourage the Jewish people to continue following Hashem and observing His mitzvot after his death. In Parshat Eikev, he minimizes Hashem's ask of the Jewish people: “And now, what does Hashem ask from you? Merely to fear Hashem, your G-d.”[1]
The gemara[2] asks the obvious question. How could Moshe present fear of G-d as a small thing? People spend their whole lives trying to achieve it and still find it elusive.
We can add a second question. After mentioning yirat shamayim, Moshe lists many other requests: following Hashem’s path, loving Him, serving Him with all our heart and soul, and observing His mitzvot and chukim. Even if fear of G-d was a small thing, how could Moshe present this entire list as a small ask?
To answer these questions, Tosafot[3] and the Ramban[4] focus on Moshe's last two words. After listing Hashem's requests, Moshe adds the words “l’tov lach, for your own good.”[5] Hashem indeed asks for many things, and a life committed to Torah and mitzvot is indeed rigorous and detailed, but all of it, including the seemingly mysterious chukim, has intrinsic value for us. We should not see His requests as burdensome because they are all for our sake.
Hashem made this point to Avraham Avinu when He gave him his first mitzvah — the mitzvah of brit milah. Hashem told Avraham that milah would make him “tamim (complete).”[6] Though the mitzvah required him to circumcise part of his body, the removal completed him.[7]
Moshe Rabbeinu made the same point regarding all the mitzvot. Though we should observe mitzvot because Hashem commands us to, our fulfillment also benefits us. Mitzvah observance is not just a duty but a privilege. This is why Yirmiyahu HaNavi describes the abandonment of Avodat Hashem as “ra va’mar (bad and bitter).”[8] It is bad because it constitutes rebellion against Hashem; it is bitter because one forfeits the benefits intrinsic to mitzvah fulfillment.
He Knows What’s Best For Us
Though we fulfill mitzvot for Hashem’s sake, He does not need our fulfillment, and it does not help or contribute to His existence in any way. The medrash[9] gives the mitzvah of shechitah (ritual slaughter) as an example of this idea. “Does Hashem care which side of the neck we slaughter? Does the shechitah affect or assist Him? Clearly, the mitzvot are for our sake — to refine and purify us, not for Hashem’s benefit.”
Rebbe Chanaya ben Akashya famously makes this point regarding the multitude of mitzvot we are commanded to observe. Anticipating one viewing the long list of mitzvot as onerous, Rebbe Chananya explains that they are actually all gifts from Hashem. “Ratzah Hakadosh Baruch Hu l’zakot et Yisrael. L’fichach hirbah la’hem Torah u’mitzvot.”[10] Hashem enlarged the amount of Torah and mitzvot in order to grant us more beneficial opportunities.[11]
The Ramban understood the benefit of mitzvah fulfillment as the message of the famous pasuk that links life to mitzvah observance: “U’shmartem et chukotai… va’chai ba’hem.”[12] Chazal derived the concept of pikuach nefesh from this pasuk: we do not sacrifice our lives to observe (most) mitzvot. The Ramban added a second lesson. Not only do mitzvot not supersede life, they also help us live life and build society properly.
The Ramban’s talmid, who authored the Sefer HaChinuch, builds on this idea and applies it to many mitzvot, which he explains are “for the good of Hashem’s creations.” Hashem created us and, therefore, cares about our welfare and knows what contributes to it. This is why He commanded us to recite berachot (which facilitate His blessings to us)[13] and confess sins (which helps us distance ourselves from them),[14] prohibited sacrificing kodshim outside of the Mikdash (which reinforces murderous tendencies),[15] and repeated important prohibitions (so we would know to be cautious about their fulfillment).[16]
Wise Advice
The Rambam also emphasizes the benefits mitzvot offer. Appreciative of their salubrity, the Rambam[17] describes mitzvot as “advice” from the “great advisor” meant to help us improve ourselves. Though mitzvot are commandments incumbent upon us to observe, the Rambam portrays them as Hashem’s “advice” because the path they chart is also the best way to live.
Interestingly, the Rambam characterizes all mitzvot, even chukim (mitzvot whose reasons are unknown to us), as advice.[18] One might have understood chukim differently. Though it is natural to see mishpatim, mitzvot whose reasons are known, as meant for our benefit, chukim could be seen as merely a way of showing our commitment to Hashem’s Will.[19] The Rambam felt otherwise. Though we do not know how or why Hashem mandated chukim, we believe they also benefit us.
This is why the Torah mentions chukim first in the (aforementioned) pasuk that characterizes mitzvot as facilitating life: “U’shmartem et chukotai v’et mishpatai asher ya’aseh otam ha’adam va’chai ba’hem.”[20] We might have assumed that only mishpatim facilitate a better life. By putting chukim first, the pasuk emphasizes that chukim do so as well.[21]
In his Moreh Nevuchim,[22] the Rambam proves this point from the Torah’s assertion that other nations will see our “chukim and mishpatim” as “wise,” “bright,” and “just,” and, therefore, us Jews as a “wise and bright” people.[23] The pasuk mentions chukim specifically to teach us that they, too, have deep meaning and contribute to our growth.[24]
In Pirkei Avot,[25] Rebbe Yehudah HaNasi encourages us to consider the cost-benefit ratio of mitzvah fulfillment. Moshe Rabbeinu’s words add an essential dimension to this consideration: mitzvah observance offers not only heavenly rewards but also worldly benefits.
May appreciating this inspire us to passionately pursue mitzvot fulfillment.
Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.
His new book, Essentials of Judaism, can be purchased at rabbireuventaragin.com.
[1] Devarim 10:12.
[2] Berachot 33b.
[3] Da’at Zekeinim, Devarim 10:12.
[4] Devarim 10:12.
[5] Devarim 10:13. See also Devarim 4:40, 5:16,26, 6:3,18,24, 12:25,28, and 22:7.
This characterization of mitzvot is similar to Moshe’s explanation of the hardships faced in the desert (Devarim 8:16).
[6] Bereishit 17:1.
[7] See Rashi (Bereishit 17:1), who explains that milah changed Avraham’s status from a ba’al mum to tamim. See also Sefer HaChinuch 2, who sees the mitzvah of milah as a model for our ability and responsibility to improve ourselves spiritually.
In contrast, see the Ramban (Bereishit 17:1) who understands the words “v’heyei tamim” as referring to an independent separate mitzvah.
[8] Yirmiyah 2:19.
[9] Bereishit Rabba 44:1. See also Midrash Tanchuma, Shemini 8.
[10] Mishnah, Makkot 23b.
[11] See the Rambam’s commentary to the mishnah, where he explains that people earn their portion in the next world by performing mitzvot with the right intention. Hashem gives us 613 mitzvot so people can find at least one they can fulfill perfectly.
[12] Vayikra 18:5. The Nevi’im reinforced the importance of this phrase by using it multiple times. See Yechezkel 20:11-21 (3 times) and Nechemyah 9:29.
[13] Sefer HaChinuch 430.
[14] Ibid., 364. See also 537.
[15] Ibid., 186.
[16] Ibid., 362.
[17] Hilchot Temurah 4:13. See Sifri Ha’azinu 17 and Re’eh 65, and Zohar (Yitro 82 and many other places). See Kedushat Levi, Vayikra, Drush L’Pesach, D”H Chacham and Pri Tzaddik Vaykira, Kedoshim 7.
[18] In his Moreh Nevuchim (3:31 and 36), the Rambam makes clear that he sees all 613 mitzvot as beneficial to us. Interestingly, in Hilchot Temurah, the Rambam makes the point regarding “rov” (which can be understood to mean “most”) of the mitzvot. Either way, in both places, the Rambam makes clear that chukim are also beneficial to us.
[19] In his Moreh Nevuchim (3:31), the Rambam points out that many have an easier time viewing things they don’t understand as G-dly. He rejects this approach with the words “chalilah lo, chalilah” and asserts strongly that everything Hashem commands us is for our own benefit.
[20] Vayikra 18:5.
[21] See Rambam, Hilchot Me’ilah (8:8), who derives from the placement of chukim before mishpatim in this pasuk that we should not respect chukim less than mishpatim. He does not explain that this is because they too are for our benefit and does not make the connection to the end of the pasuk (va’chay ba’hem).
Interestingly, in the pasuk before (18:4), the Torah placed mishpatim before chukim. This could be because that pasuk links mitzvah observance to Hashem’s authority. Therefore, it needs to emphasize mishpatim more than chukim.
Thus, the two pesukim (18:4–5) taken together emphasize the two reasons to observe all the mitzvot.
A precedent for the idea that the Torah mentions what it fears we may disrespect first can be found in Rashi, Vayikra 19:3.
[22] Moreh Nevuchim 3:31.
The Rambam saw these pesukim as central to our understanding of both Torah and mitzvot and our relationship with other nations.
In his Shemonah Perakim, the Rambam uses the pesukim as the basis of his objection to an approach to medrash that he sees as illogical. Since an approach that is illogical will not be respected by other nations, it must be incorrect.
In his Igeret Teiman, the Rambam uses the pesukim to explain antisemitism. Other nations hate us because they are jealous of how wise our mitzvot are.
[23] Devarim 4:6–8. See Rabbeinu B’chayei (Devarim 4:6) and the Ran (Derash 7) who ask that Chazal (Rashi, Bamibdar 19:2) describe chukim as mitzvot the other nations attack as non-sensical.
[24] See Moreh Nevuchim 3:26 where the Rambam proves from these pesukim that chukim also benefit us.
[25] Avot 2:1.