Walking Toward the Mitzvah: Longing That Counts as Doing
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 12:28
וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ
Bnei Yisrael went and did; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did.
Rashi: Had they already done it? It was told to them on Rosh Chodesh! Rather, since they accepted it upon themselves, Scripture credits them as though they had done it. “Went and did”: Scripture counts even the going, to give reward for the going and reward for the doing. “As Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon”: this tells the praise of Israel, that they did not leave out anything of all the commands of Moshe and Aharon. “So they did”: Moshe and Aharon too did so.
1“Bnei Yisrael went and did; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did.”1 Notice the wording: once the verse has said “and did,” what was missing that it had to write “went” as well? Rashi writes: “‘Bnei Yisrael went and did’: had they already done it? It was told to them on Rosh Chodesh! Rather, since they accepted it upon themselves, Scripture credits them as though they had done it. ‘Went and did’: Scripture counts even the going, to give reward for the going and reward for the doing.”2 But why is this idea mentioned here, with the Pesach offering, when the same is true of every mitzvah?
וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ (יב, כח). יֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק, אַחַר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ׳וַיַּעֲשׂוּ׳, מֶה הָיָה חָסֵר הַכָּתוּב עוֹד, שֶׁהוּצְרַךְ לִכְתּוֹב ׳וַיֵּלְכוּ׳. וברש״י כָּתַב, וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכִי כְּבָר עָשׂוּ, וַהֲלֹא מֵרֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ נֶאֱמַר לָהֶם, אֶלָּא מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם, מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם כְּאִלּוּ עָשׂוּ. וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ, אַף הַהֲלִיכָה מָנָה הַכָּתוּב, לִיתֵּן שָׂכָר לַהֲלִיכָה וְשָׂכָר לַעֲשִׂיָּה, עכ״ד. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין לָמָּה נִזְכַּר עִנְיָן זֶה דַּוְקָא כָּאן בְּקָרְבַּן פֶּסַח, הֲרֵי כֵּן הוּא בְּכָל הַמִּצְוֹת.
- Shemos 12:28. ↩
- Rashi there. The command was given on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, about two weeks before the Pesach offering was brought on the fourteenth of the month. ↩
In shortWhy does the verse add “went” to “did,” and why teach the reward for going with the Pesach offering, when it holds for every mitzvah?
2Rashi writes further: “‘As Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did’: this tells the praise of Israel, that they did not leave out anything of all the commands of Moshe and Aharon. And what is ‘so they did’? Moshe and Aharon too did so.” What is new in their changing nothing and leaving nothing out? This was, after all, the first mitzvah they had been commanded, and they had been privileged to have Hashem's word addressed to them. Surely they would fulfill it properly! And what is so remarkable about Moshe and Aharon doing so too? Are they not part of Israel, who must keep the mitzvos?
עוֹד כָּתַב רש״י לְהַלָּן, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ, לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְוֹות מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וּמַהוּ כֵּן עָשׂוּ, אַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין, מָה הַחִידּוּשׁ בָּזֶה שֶׁלֹּא שִׁינּוּ וְלֹא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר, מַה גַּם שֶׁהָיְתָה זוֹ מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ וְזָכוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מַאֲמַר ה׳ אֲלֵיהֶם, וּבְוַדַּאי שֶׁיְּקַיְּימוּהָ כְּהִלְכָתָהּ. עוֹד צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין מָה הָרְבוּתָא בָּזֶה שֶׁאַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ, וְכִי הֵם לֹא בִּכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוֹת.
In shortRashi's praise of Israel for leaving nothing out, and his remark that Moshe and Aharon did so too, both seem obvious.
3aMy holy great-uncle, the holy Rebbe of Partzeva, zy"a, explains this,3 beginning with Rashi's words on the verse “It is a Pesach offering to Hashem”: “The offering is called Pesach because of the skipping and passing over, for the Holy One, blessed be He, skipped over the houses of Israel from among the houses of Egypt. He leaped from Egyptian to Egyptian, and the Israelite in between escaped. And you, perform all its services for the sake of Heaven.”4 At first glance this is puzzling. Why did Rashi have to warn that the Pesach be done for the sake of Heaven? And what does this have to do with what he said just before, that the offering is called Pesach because of the skipping and passing over?
ומכ״ק דּוֹדִי זְקֵנִי הרה״ק מפארציווא זיע״א (אלה הדברים שנאמרו לדוד אות ד) אִיתָא בָּזֶה, בְּהֶקְדֵּם דִּבְרֵי רש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ עַל הַכָּתוּב (יב, יא) ״פֶּסַח הוּא לַה׳״, הַקָּרְבָּן הוּא קָרוּי פֶּסַח עַל שֵׁם הַדִּילּוּג וְהַפְּסִיחָה שהקב״ה מְדַלֵּג בָּתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבֵּין בָּתֵּי מִצְרַיִם מִמִּצְרִי לְמִצְרִי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶמְצָעִי נִמְלָט, וְאַתֶּם עֲשׂוּ כָּל עֲבוֹדוֹתָיו לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, ע״כ. וְלִכְאוֹרָה יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַדּוּעַ הוּצְרַךְ לְהַזְהִיר עַל עֲשִׂיַּית הַפֶּסַח לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, וְכֵן מָה שַׁיָּיךְ עִנְיָן זֶה לְהָאָמוּר מִקּוֹדֶם, שֶׁקָּרוּי הַקָּרְבָּן פֶּסַח עַל שֵׁם הַדִּילּוּג וְהַפְּסִיחָה.
3bThe Rebbe of Partzeva explained it this way. It seems that Israel felt a great stirring in its heart when it saw such hashgachah pratis, Hashem's watchful care over each individual, as He skipped from house to house. There was a concern that Israel might, Heaven forbid, do the mitzvah of the Pesach because of this stirring. So the holy Torah warned us, teaching us the way of true avodah, the service of Hashem. We are not to do mitzvos and keep the Torah because of such things, Heaven forbid, but only for the sake of “a pleasing aroma: that I spoke and My will was done.”5 In other words, we act only because our Creator, blessed be He, commanded us so, and all our deeds should be purely for the sake of Heaven, as a decree of the King of the world, and not in order to receive a reward. That is why the Pesach is called a chukah, a decree without a reason, as it says, “This is the chukah of the Pesach.”6 Because Israel was so deeply stirred then, seeing all the wonders, Hashem commanded that it be done as a decree, a chukah.
וּבֵיאֵר בָּזֶה, דִּכְפִי הַנִּרְאֶה הָיְתָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְעוֹרְרוּת גְּדוֹלָה בְּלִבָּם בִּרְאוֹתָם הַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית כָּזוֹ שֶׁל הַדִּילּוּג מִבַּיִת לְבַיִת, וְהָיָה חֲשָׁשׁ אוּלַי ח״ו יַעֲשׂוּ אֶת מִצְוַת הַפֶּסַח מֵחֲמַת הִתְעוֹרְרוּת זוֹ, לָכֵן הִזְהִירָנוּ הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהוֹרַתְנוּ אֶת דֶּרֶךְ הָעֲבוֹדָה הָאֲמִיתִּית, שֶׁלֹּא מֵחֲמַת זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה מִצְוֹת וּנְקַיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה ח״ו, אֶלָּא רַק מִשּׁוּם רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי וְנַעֲשָׂה רְצוֹנִי (רש״י ויקרא א, ט), הַיְינוּ רַק מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּךְ צִיוָּנוּ בּוֹרְאֵינוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְכָל מַעֲשֵׂינוּ יִהְיוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם בִּלְבַד בִּגְזֵירַת מֶלֶךְ מַלְכּוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס. לָכֵן נִקְרָא הַפֶּסַח ׳חוּקָּה׳, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״זֹאת חוּקַּת הַפָּסַח״ (שמות יב, מג), מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיְתָה אָז הִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַבָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְאוֹתָם אֶת כָּל הַמּוֹפְתִים, לָכֵן צִיוָּה הקב״ה עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּהָ בְּתוֹרַת גְּזֵירָה וְחוּקָּה.
3cThis is the meaning of the passage's closing words, “All Bnei Yisrael did; as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did.”7 They did it in the spirit of “as Hashem commanded Moshe”: only because of the decree of the King of the world, and not because of the wonders they had seen with their own eyes. A word to the wise is enough. This is what Rashi meant in his holy words when he told us to perform all our service for the sake of Heaven: not because of the stirring the wonder brought, but only because of His will alone, as “a pleasing aroma” before Him. That is the gist of the Rebbe of Partzeva's words. This is also what the verse means by “a Pesach offering to Hashem.” It tells us that at that time they did the mitzvah for the sake of “a pleasing aroma,” and not because of the spiritual insights they were granted at the time of the Pesach offering. And this is the meaning of “so they did”: they did the mitzvah because Hashem commanded it, and for no other reason.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁמְּסַיֶּימֶת הַפָּרָשָׁה ״וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כָּל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁעָשׂוּ כֵּן בִּבְחִינַת ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה׳, דְּהַיְינוּ רַק מֵחֲמַת גְּזֵירַת מֶלֶךְ מַלְכּוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וְלֹא מֵחֲמַת הַמּוֹפְתִים שֶׁרָאוּ בְּחוּשׁ, וְדַי לַמֵּבִין. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכִּיוֵּון רש״י ז״ל בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, וְאַתֶּם עֲשׂוּ כָּל עֲבוֹדַתְכֶם לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, וְלֹא מִצַּד הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַמּוֹפֵת, רַק מִצַּד רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַד, לְרֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, עכ״ד. וְזֶה גַּם הַכַּוָּונָה בְּדִבְרֵי הַכָּתוּב ׳פֶּסַח לַה׳׳, דְּבָא לְבָאֵר דְּעָשׂוּ אָז הַמִּצְוָה מֵחֲמַת רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ, וְלֹא מֵחֲמַת הַשָּׂגוֹת שֶׁזָּכוּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת קָרְבַּן הַפֶּסַח, וְזֶהוּ ׳כֵּן עָשׂוּ׳, שֶׁעָשׂוּ הַמִּצְוָה מֵחֲמַת צִיוּוּי ה׳ וְלֹא מֵחֲמַת דָּבָר אַחֵר.
- Shemos 12:50. ↩
In shortThe wonders stirred Israel so deeply that the Pesach was given as a chukah; “so they did” praises bringing it only at Hashem's command.
4aWe can explain this further in light of what my holy father and teacher, zt"l, said on the verse “So Avram went, as Hashem had spoken to him.”8 The commentators, the Alshich and the Ohr HaChaim, look closely at the words “as Hashem had spoken to him.” The verse has already told us that Hashem spoke to him, saying “Go for yourself …” Why did it need to say so again? My holy father explained this through a teaching of my holy ancestor the Rebbe of Lentshna, zt"l, on the verse “Avraham circumcised Yitzchak his son at eight days old.” The Rebbe of Lentshna noted the wording shemonas yamim, where we would expect shemonah yamim.9 He explained that as soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Avraham Avinu to circumcise his son, Avraham longed to fulfill the mitzvah right away. Through all eight days he stood waiting for the moment when he would at last be privileged to fulfill it, and so it was counted for him as though he were fulfilling the mitzvah throughout those eight days. That is why the verse says ben shemonas yamim and not shemonah: Avraham fulfilled the mitzvah not only on the eighth day but throughout all eight days. Those are the Rebbe of Lentshna's holy words.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר הָעִנְיָן יוֹתֵר, בְּהֶקְדֵּם דִּבְרֵי כ״ק אאמו״ר זצלה״ה עַל הַכָּתוּב (בראשית יב, ד) ״וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳״, שֶׁדִּקְדְּקוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (אלשיך ואור החיים) בְּמַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳׳, הָא כְּבָר נִזְכַּר בַּכָּתוּב כִּי דִּיבֵּר אֵלָיו ה׳ בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ״לֵךְ לְךָ״ וְגוֹ׳, וְלָמָּה הוּצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לַחֲזוֹר וּלְהַזְכִּיר זֹאת. וּפֵירֵשׁ עַל פִּי מַאֲמַר זְקֵנִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ מלענטשנא זצללה״ה עַל הַכָּתוּב (בראשית כא, ד) ״וַיָּמָל אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ בֶּן שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים״, וְדִיֵּיק בִּלְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב ׳שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים׳ שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לוֹמַר ׳שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים׳, וּפֵירֵשׁ כִּי מִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה הקב״ה אֶת אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה לָמוּל אֶת בְּנוֹ, הִשְׁתּוֹקֵק וְחָפֵץ תֵּיכֶף לְקַיֵּים כְּבָר אֶת הַמִּצְוָה, וּבְמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים הָיָה עוֹמֵד וּמְצַפֶּה לְעֵת בָּהּ יִזְכֶּה כְּבָר לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה, וְלָכֵן נֶחְשָׁב לוֹ כְּאִילּוּ קִיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל אוֹתָם שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים. וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳בֶּן שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים׳ וְלֹא ׳שְׁמוֹנָה׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁלֹּא רַק בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי בִּלְבַד קִיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה, אֶלָּא בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים, עכדה״ק.
4bOn this basis my holy father explained that the same was true when Avraham Avinu heard Hashem's command, “Go for yourself.” At once he was filled with will and longing to fulfill Hashem's command, and from the moment Hashem spoke he was already counted as fulfilling it. This is what the verse means by “So Avram went, as (ka'asher) He had spoken to him”:10 as soon as Hashem spoke to him, his longing was so great that it counted as though he had already fulfilled Hashem's command and gone. Those are my holy father's words.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה פֵּירֵשׁ, דִּכְמוֹ כֵּן הָיָה בְּעֵת שֶׁשָּׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ מַאֲמַר ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ ״לֵךְ לְךָ״, מִיָּד נִתְמַלֵּא רָצוֹן וּתְשׁוּקָה לְקַיֵּים מִצְוָתוֹ, וְהָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לוֹ כְּבָר מֵעֵת דִּיבּוּר ה׳ כִּמְקַיֵּים מִצְוָתוֹ, וְעַל זֶה כִּיוֵּון הַכָּתוּב בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ״וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁתֵּיכֶף כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר אֵלָיו ה׳, בְּרוֹב תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ נֶחְשָׁב כְּבָר כְּאִילּוּ קִיֵּים כְּבָר אֶת מִצְוַת ה׳ וְהָלַךְ, עכדה״ק.
- Ka'asher can also mean “when.” ↩
In shortLonging for a mitzvah counts as doing it from the moment of the command, the Rebbe's father taught; so Avram “went” when Hashem spoke.
5In the same way we can interpret our verse, “Bnei Yisrael went and did …” As soon as they began preparing to go and do the mitzvah, their longing for it was so intense that it counted for them at once as though they had already engaged in the mitzvah itself and fulfilled it. That is why the verse sets the going beside the doing: already while they were going, their great longing made it count as though they had done the mitzvah. This explains Rashi's words, “‘Went and did’: to give reward for the going as for the doing.” Here Bnei Yisrael stood on this great level: the moment they went, they had fulfilled the mitzvah. The verse then concludes, “as Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, so they did,” because Bnei Yisrael, steeped as they were in Egypt in the forty-nine gates of impurity,11 were on their own far from so lofty a level. But Moshe and Aharon passed this level on to them, so that they were stirred with great longing to fulfill the mitzvah. This is what Rashi meant by “Moshe and Aharon too did so”: Moshe and Aharon instilled this power in the people of Israel, a longing for mitzvos in the spirit of “When will it come to my hand so that I may fulfill it?”12
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב כָּאן ״וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ וְגוֹ׳, לוֹמַר שֶׁכְּבָר בְּעֵת שֶׁהֵחֵלּוּ בַּהֲכָנָתָם לֵילֵךְ לַעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָוה, אֲזַי בְּרוֹב גּוֹדֶל תְּשׁוּקָתָם לְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה נֶחְשָׁב לָהֶם תֵּיכֶף כְּאִילּוּ כְּבָר עָסְקוּ וְקִיְּימוּ הַמִּצְוָה עַצְמָהּ, וְעַל כֵּן הִקִּישׁ הַכָּתוּב הַהֲלִיכָה לַעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוָה, לוֹמַר כִּי כְּבָר בְּעֵת הַהֲלִיכָה הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לָהֶם מִצַּד רוֹב תְּשׁוּקָתָם כְּאִילּוּ כְּבָר עָשׂוּ הַמִּצְוָה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתַב רש״י, וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לִיתֵּן שָׂכָר עַל הֲלִיכָה כְּמוֹ עַל הָעֲשִׂיָּה, שֶׁכָּאן הָיוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּדַרְגָּא גְּדוֹלָה זוֹ שֶׁמִּיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ קִיְּימוּ הַמִּצְוָה. וְסִיֵּים הַכָּתוּב וְאָמַר ׳כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ׳, כִּי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּהְיוֹתָם שְׁרוּיִים בְּמִצְרַיִם במ״ט שַׁעֲרֵי טוּמְאָה, אֲזַי מִצַּד עַצְמָם הָיוּ רְחוֹקִים מִמַּדְרֵיגָה גְּבוֹהָה שֶׁכְּזוֹ, אָכֵן מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן הִשְׁפִּיעוּ מַדְרֵגָה זוֹ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהִתְעוֹרֵר בִּתְשׁוּקָה גְּדוֹלָה לְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת רש״י שֶׁאַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהֵם הִכְנִיסוּ הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה לְעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל לִהְיוֹת הִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת לַמִּצְוֹות, בִּבְחִינַת מָתַי יָבוֹא לְיָדִי וַאֲקַיְּימֶנּוּ (ברכות סא, ב).
In shortIsrael's longing made its going count as doing; Moshe and Aharon instilled that longing, beyond Israel's level in Egypt: “Moshe and Aharon too did so.”
6May Hashem grant that we be privileged to do mitzvos in speech, thought and deed for the honor of Heaven, and to serve the Creator with simple wholeheartedness and love, to give Him satisfaction. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוֹת בְּדִיבּוּר וּמַחְשָׁבָה וּמַעֲשֶׂה לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וְלַעֲבוֹד הַבּוֹרֵא מִתּוֹךְ תְּמִימוּת וְאַהֲבָה עַל מְנָת לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay we serve Hashem in speech, thought and deed, wholeheartedly and with love, only to give Him satisfaction.
Takeaway
The Pesach was given as a chukah so that Israel would bring it only because Hashem commanded it, even with all the wonders of the Exodus before their eyes. Yet Bnei Yisrael longed for the mitzvah so much that their very going toward it was counted as doing it, a longing that Moshe and Aharon instilled in them. May we do each mitzvah purely because He commanded it, and with a longing that asks, “When will it come to my hand so that I may fulfill it?”
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.