NOTES TO HASHEM

A Light-hearted Look at Keeping G-d’s Commandments

By Ashirah Yosefah

At a Shabbat table one evening, a Rabbi remarked that there are only two mitzvoth in Torah for which we are specifically told the reward related to their observance:  Honoring one’s father and mother, and shooing away a mother bird if you are about to remove the young from her nest.  The first is all-encompassing, truly a lifelong mitzvah for most.  Honoring one’s parents can involve many, many things as one moves from childhood to being an adult.  The second, however, deals with a seemingly insignificant act that one might not ever be required to perform.  Both of these mitzvoth carry the specific reward of meriting a long life, therefore, the Torah is telling us that both commandments are highly significant.  Could the Torah be showing us that there is actually no hierarchy of rewards for mitzvoth and that every mitzvah is important to our spiritual and physical well-being?  Moshe Rabbeinu seems to confirm this in the following passage:

“He [Moshe] said to them:  Take to heart all the words with which I have warned you this day.  Enjoin them upon your children that they may observe faithfully all the terms of this teaching.  For this is not a trifling thing for you: It is your very life; through it you shall long endure on the land that you are to possess upon crossing the Jordan.”  (Devarim 32:46-47: JPS Tanach)

In the above passage, long life is equated with the keeping of ALL the words of the Torah.  By contrast, the Torah does make clear distinctions between the levels and seriousness of sins, but not with the mitzvoth.  Be they small or large, easy or more difficult, keeping them connects us to G-d, reveals His nature to us, effects personal tikkun within our lives, and promises us a long life “on the land you are crossing over the Jordan to possess.”

The following is a true story that helps to illustrate the beauty and the significance of keeping the Torah mitzvoth: 

A Jerusalem couple recently celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary.  Thinking seven years to be a rather significant number, the husband decided he wanted to do something “big” to express his love and appreciation for his wife.  He would discover, however, that ‘bigger’ is not always better.  The well-intentioned husband spent a large sum of money to purchase a high-tech treadmill as an anniversary gift for his wife.  Now such a gift can communicate many things … some positive, some not-so-positive.  Appreciative of her husband’s true intent, the wife gently broke the news to her husband that what she really wanted was something very simple and not the least expensive. 

What was this magical gift?  A card with a personal note.

Being a story with a happy ending, the extravagant anniversary gift has become a source of enjoyment for both husband and wife, but a valuable lesson was learned.  It is a lesson that offers a beautiful analogy to explain another reason why we should keep the mitzvoth of Torah:

Each time we keep or perform a mitzvah, we have the opportunity to “write a note to Hashem”. 

When we write a personal note to someone, we share our innermost feelings, hopes, and appreciation – we define in words our relationship to the recipient of the note.  Each time we keep a mitzvah, we inscribe in the heavenly realm (and upon the minds of those who see or benefit from the mitzvoth we keep) our devotion to Hashem and our respect, awe and fear of Heaven.  We define how we perceive our relationship with our Creator. 

 “You shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day… ” (Devarim 6:5,6)

Any coincidence that the command to love Hashem is immediately followed by an admonition to take His mitzvoth to heart and hearken to them? 

Lo miqrei … rac mi Hashem (no coincidence … only from Hashem).

Mitzvoth … what a wonderful and amazing gift.