How  to  avoid “cardiac arrest“

This week’s Parsha, Bo, lists twenty mitzvot, sixteen directly about Pesach and nine of them relating specifically to the Korban Pesach [The Paschal sacrifice]. That’s a lot of laws for one little [Paschal] lamb. Why must there be so many?

We assume that questions like these express the frustration of the typical modern Jew today who finds so many mitzvot burdensome. Yet, these questions were being asked already in the Middle Ages, in the classic treatise on the 613 mitzvot, Sefer Hachinuch [The Handbook of Education]. Why, the author asks are there so many rules? Why can we not remember the Exodus with just one mitzva? Is it really so hard to commemorate?

He goes on to explain that our inner thoughts and beliefs are molded by our external actions. Our hearts and our thoughts follow the lead of whichever activities we choose to engage in, for the good or for the bad. Thus, even a man thoroughly wicked at heart, were he to resolve to outwardly engage in Torah and mitzvot, even if not for the sake of Heaven, his thoughts would begin to improve and eventually the strength of his deeds would change his heart. Conversely, even a person completely righteous at heart, were he to be forced constantly to perform some evil vocation or activity, his heart would eventually be drawn down to the level of his actions. The Sefer Hachinuch advances this as the reason why G-d commanded the performance of so many acts in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt, when it might seem that one act of remembrance would suffice to commemorate it.

 Thus, our sages teach us: “G-d wanted to confer merit on Israel, therefore he gave them much Torah and a multitude of mitzvot“-so that through our occupation with Torah and mitzvot, we purify our hearts and souls and merit bonding with G-d eternally.

 The Talmud enumerates seven precepts with which G-d surrounded Israel because of His love for them. R. Eliezer b. Jacob stated, “Whosoever has the tefillin on his head, the tefillin on his arm, the zitzit on his garment (the zitzit being regarded as four), and the mezuza on his doorpost is fortified against sinning” (Men. 43b). As the Sefer Hachinuch explains “For these are uninterrupted mitzvot [to be observed constantly] and one is constantly affected by them.”

 We live in an age in which the ever increasing number of activities vying for our attention, are not particularly spiritually uplifting. Many of them are quite the opposite. To say ‘I am deeply religious because I am a Jew at heart’ is not enough.  The stress on the heart is too great and will bring about “Cardiac Arrest” – heart seizure that may ultimately sever our connections with Judaism.  Relying only on our good hearts to save us from being tugged down with the lowering tide of morality is a dangerous gamble.  G-d aids us by granting us many mitzvoth: the many mitzvot on Pesach to recall the Exodus from Egypt and the myriad of mitzvot to be performed daily throughout the year elevate our hearts and souls and bring us closer to G-d.

Why are there so many mitzvot? They’re for our benefit. They uplift and fortify us. Try a new one out today. Practice its performance and in a few days, you’re guaranteed to feel the difference.