But What Have Mitzvos Done for Me Lately?

Q. How do mitzvot benefit us on a deeper level?

A. There are probably plenty of answers to this question; I'll give you two.

(1) Doctors give us all sorts of instructions to help keep us physically healthy, such as take vitamins, eat your vegetables, and get plenty of fresh air and exercise. Similarly, God gives us instructions, like keep the Sabbath and eat kosher food. Just as the doctor's instructions are intended to keep us physically healthy, God's instructions are designed to keep us spiritually healthy.

(2) God is the ultimate goodness and the best thing for us is to get as close to him as possible. Performing the mitzvos draws us closer to God, whereby we experience the most transcendent good there is.

Q. If the act of mitzvot is for us to do the highest good, what good is eating kosher for us? In my opinion, this mitzvah is an appearance. Do not commit adultery, do not testify falsely, be kind to your fellow man – these are real mitzvot.

A. They're all real mitzvos, but there are two types of mitzvah; some are between two different people, while others are just between a person and God. Not committing adultery, not testifying falsely and being kind to others are what's called "logical" mitzvos; they're things that any moral society should come up with on their own without needing God to command them. But keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath, etc. are things we wouldn't do if God didn't tell us to. These are things designed to heighten our relationships with God.

Q. Can a person with these mitzvot reach the level of doing things that are not possible for an ordinary human being logically?

A. No, they're still regular people, just like everyone else. They're just people who are working on their relationships with God.

Rabbi Jack's book Ask Rabbi Jack is available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.