Community Magazine July 2016

20 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE with excitement and vigor if we don’t understand what we’re doing? True, we should, ideally, be excited simply by the knowledge that we are serving the King of kings. But can we realistically be expected to muster enthusiasm from this knowledge alone, while being left in the dark about the meaning of the mitzvot ? The alternative, however, poses challenges of its own. If we probe and study to uncover the deeper layers of meaning and symbolism behind the mitzvot , as many of our great luminaries have done throughout the ages, then we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and inner conflict. Even King Shlomo fell short in his quest to understand all the mitzvot ; certainly, then, we will come upon many areas of religious life that seem irrational. And when this happens, we will be tempted to ignore those mitzvot . Once we grow accustomed to understanding, we will find it difficult to obey when we do not understand. Which approach, then, should we follow? Should we observe blindly, without trying to understand what we do, even though this will likely turn us into robots, or should we strive for knowledge and understanding, even as we know that this quest is doomed to fail at one point or another? Timeless Guidance from Pirkeh Avot The answer, as always, is provided by our Torah sources. In Pirkeh Avot – which Ashkenazim continue studying every Shabbat even after Shavuot – we read, “Which is the straight path which a person should choose for himself – that which brings glory to its Maker and glory in the eyes of people” (2:1). One of the greatest Sephardic sages of the modern era, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), explained that the question posed by the Mishnah is precisely the question we’ve discussed. Which is the proper way to observe mitzvot – with blind obedience, or while probing to understand their meaning? Should we risk compromising our enthusiasm and rigor to ensure obedience, or should we risk compromising our obedience to ensure enthusiasm and rigor? The answer, the Ben Ish Hai explains, is that we do not have to, and must not, compromise anything. We need to embrace both approaches, but the sequence is critical. The Mishnah is very precise in its answer. First, we must do that which brings glory to Gd. This means committing ourselves to unconditional and unwavering subservience. We bring glory to the Almighty by doing everything He says without asking any questions, simply because this is His will. Just as a child shows his obedience to his parents’ authority by obeying their commands without any questions or protests, we similarly show our respect for and fealty to Gd by obeying His commands without asking “why,” with blind obedience. But this is only the first stage. The second is that which “brings…glory in the eyes of people,” meaning, which elicits the respect and admiration of others. When we observe blindly, people on the outside might view us with ridicule and scorn. When we uncover the depth and Selection, Satisfaction www.gcnymarketing.com 877.5.LINENS • www.elegantlinen.com Brooklyn: 5719 NewUtrecht Ave. Tel.718.871.3535 Hrs:Sun-Thurs10-6,Fri10-2,Tue.Till9 1910 Avenue M. Bklyn, NY11230 T.718.972.3535 Hours:Sun-Thurs10:30-6:30,Fri10-2 Lakewood: 6764-B Rt. 9 S Howell Tel.732.905.9444 Hrs:Sun-Wed10-6,Thurs10-9,Fri10-2 NOW IN FLATBUSH Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children