Shavuah Tov!!! Wishing everyone a blessed and successful week.
This very strong statement of The Vilna Gaon opens a window for us in understanding the Mitzvahs in a whole new level. There are 613 Mitzvahs in the Torah, each one of them is Eternity.
Technically, the Mitzvahs themselves don’t add or subtract from G-d’s Greatness, as it says in Iyov (35:7):”If you are righteous, what do you give Him?”
Rather H”S goal in giving us the Mitzvahs is to benefit His creations. The sages explain that G-d doesn’t want us to receive “bread of shame.” Instead, He gives us the opportunity to gain merits from our deeds in this world.
So every time we do a Mitzvah we are working on our character traits (middos). For example: we are commanded to give 10% of our earnings, by doing what H”S is asking from us by doing this mitzvah and putting great effort we are correcting the midda of stinginess, or our lack of faith in knowing that our money is not ours, etc..
Torah and Mitzvahs are the means H”S gave us, but they are not the end goal. They are tools to polish our character, perfect our middos, and thereby emerge as whole people. Ultimately it’s the war of me against myself. And if I emerge victorious that’s what going to give me entry into eternity.
Experts taken from “Parasha Chayei Sarah” by Miriam Aflalo
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