Why Should We Keep Mitzvahs? (5 minutes)

0:02but this Red Cow and this mitzvah is unusual in the sense that, in the beginning of the parasha, it says, "This is the decree of the Torah." And then it starts talking about the Red Cow. So if it was talking, if... things were based on rationality or based on our own logic. Instead of saying this is the decree of the Torah, it should say this is the decree of the Red Cow or this is the decree of purification because the Red Cow is purifying, or this is the laws of impurity. But it's saying this is the decree of the Torah. It's not saying this is why the Torah. Chazal explain that this mitzvah is like the entire Torah. The one mitzvah we don't understand is a representation of the entire Torah. And why is it a representation of the entire Torah? Because it's telling you this is how you have to treat the Torah. The fact that we don't understand it and we'll never understand the mitzvah of the Torah of the red cow until the Mashiach comes. We're not going to understand it.

1:18But despite the fact that we don't understand, we still have to do. And this is how we have to treat the entire Torah. Because if we do things even without understanding, then it shows that we're doing it for the right reason. We're doing it because Hashem said so. Why do you say a prayer at the end when you leave the bathroom? Hashem said so. Why do you keep Shabbat? Hashem said so. That's really the real reason for all of the mitzvot. It's the only reason you ever need. Sometimes Hashem, and most of the time Hashem, gives us something called a ta'am, a little taste of the benefits of the mitzvah. rewards that you're going to get for this mitzvah. But you should never do a mitzvah because of the benefit. In the Gemara Masechet Ta'anit, it says that you should never do a mitzvah purely based on benefit. Yes, part of the reason could be the benefit, but in reality, the main reason to do a mitzvah is because Hashem said so. So much so, that the Rambam writes in his book that the non-Jews of the world

2:29the righteous non-Jews of the world, if they keep the seven laws of Noah, they have a share in the World to Come. As long as they're keeping the seven laws of Noah because Hashem said so, because it's written in the Torah. But if they keep those seven laws of Noah, just because it makes sense to them, or just because they feel like it, or just because, listen, do not murder is very logical. Why should we murder? They're all common sense. The seven laws of Noach are all common sense. Don't steal. Of course, you shouldn't steal. You shouldn't murder. You shouldn't eat living animals. This is all logical. If they happen to keep those seven laws, but just because it makes sense to them, or because they agree with them, or anything based on their own rationale, he says not only do they not have a share of the world to come, but they're not even considered the righteous people of the Gentile nations. They're considered the stupid people of the Gentile nations. Why? Because they're doing a mitzvah, they're doing something, but they're not doing it for the right reason. They're not getting any benefit for it. If you're already going to do it, do it for the right reason. or anything based on their own rationale, he says not only do they not have a share in the World to Come, but they're not even considered the righteous people of the Gentile nations. They're considered the foolish people of the Gentile nations. Why? Because they're doing a mitzvah, they're doing something, but they're not doing it for the right reason. They're not getting any benefit from it. If you're already going to do it, do it for the right reason.

3:53And the right reason, what the Parashat HaShavua is telling us, is because Hashem said so. Whether you understand it or not is irrelevant. Of course, you should try to understand as much as possible, because in our lowly generation, We need to try to understand the meaning behind everything because it's very, very hard for us, especially in the beginning when we first start doing teshuva, when we first convert, when we first connect to Hashem. It's very, very hard for us to make such drastic changes in our life without knowing the reason why. Sometimes the reason needs to be because I don't want to be punished. Sometimes the reason should be because there's going to be a big reward, either in this world or the next world, and so on. And Hashem gave us plenty of mitzvot. Most of the mitzvot we have in the Torah, we have those reasons. We have those ta'amim. But in reality, once you're in it, once you understand what Torah is, the real reason for keeping anything is that Hashem said so. That's the real reason.