Halakhah for Makkot 46:3

From the roots of the commandment is to remember the miracles of Egypt, as we have written in the other [related commandments]. And this is also a trunk from the root mentioned: For it is not honorable for the sons of kings and the advisers of the land to drag the bones and break them like dogs. Except for the impoverished among the people and the starving, it is not a proper thing to do this. And therefore, as we began to become the chosen of all nations, 'a kingdom of priests and a holy nation' - and in each and every year at that time - it is fitting for us to do acts that show the great stature which we achieved at that hour, about us. And in the act and reenactment that we do, this thing is placed in our souls for eternity. My son, do not think to pounce upon my words and say, "Why would God, may He be blessed, command us to do all of these commandments to commemorate that miracle; would we not remember it with one commemoration, [such that] it not be forgotten from the mouth of our offspring?" You must know that it is not from wisdom that you would [question] me about this, and it is your youthful thoughts that lead you to this. And now, my son, 'If you have understanding,' 'incline your ear and hear,' and I will teach you to benefit from Torah and the commandments: You must know, that a man is acted upon according to his actions; and his heart and all his thoughts always follow after the actions that he does - whether good or bad. And even he who in his heart is a complete sinner and all the desires of his heart are only for evil; if his spirit shall be enlightened and he will put his efforts and actions to persist in Torah and commandments - even if not for the sake of Heaven - he shall immediately incline towards the good. And from that which is not for its own sake comes that which is for its own sake [as opposed to being for personal gain]; for the hearts are drawn after the actions. And even if a man is perfectly righteous and his heart is straight and innocent, desiring of Torah and the commandments; if he shall constantly deal with improper things, you could compare it to someone who was forced by the king to work a wicked craft - if he constantly works in that wicked craft - eventually, from his righteousness, he shall have become completely evil. For it is known and true that every man is acted upon according to his actions, as we have said. And the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said about this (Makkot 23b), "God wanted to grant merits to Israel, therefore he gave them many laws and commandments," to occupy all of our thoughts and all our deeds, to benefit us at our end [i.e. in the world to come]. Because from the good actions we are acted upon to be good and merit eternal life. And the Sages hinted at this (Menachot 43b) with their statement that anyone who has a mezuzah on his door, tsitsit on his garment and tefillin on his head is promised that he shall not sin - for these are constant commandments, and [so] he is constantly acted upon by them.

And the explanation of this matter and the main reason according to my opinion is from two angles. The one is that [in] everything that God, blessed be He, wanted to distance from us a great distancing for our good, He multiplied for us many warnings (negative commandments) about it. And there is also a [direct] benefit found for us in the multiplication of the warnings. And it is like they, may their memory be blessed, said (Makkot 23b) that the Omnipresent wanted to give merit to Israel; therefore he multiplied the commandments for them. And the intention in their saying commandments is also about the warnings (and not just the positive commandments). As He multiplied many warnings about that which was possible to inform with one warning; like here that it was possible to warn them more generally, "You shall not take the money of others not according to the law." But [instead] the warnings to us about the thing were multiplied, so that we can receive much reward for separating from sin. And so too, in every place where they, may their memory be blessed, said, "[So as] to [make one] transgress it with many negative commandments," we will explain the matter like this. As it should not be explained, God forbid, that God, may He be blessed, wanted to come to His creatures with ploys, so that He would multiply the vengeance upon them. As God, blessed be He and blessed be His name, desires to give merit to His creatures, not to make [them] liable. But He prompts them with one prompting after another, in order that they learn to take rebuke and merit greatly in their distancing from sin. And this reason for those that know knowledge is honey and milk.