Musar על ברכות 11:13

And they said: "zealous people do Mitzvot as early as possible" (Pesachim 4a). Likewise, they said: "a person should always run to perform a mitzva, even on the Sabbath".

The fact that the same word is also used in connection with the tunic, כתונת, i.e. a garment worn on the body and not on the head, may be understood as a reference to the Zohar which says that "here on earth the תפילין are made of hide, skin, i.e. עור. However, in their ultimate place, i.e. מקומם העליון, they are made of light, אור." These are the תפילין, concerning which our sages say that G–d Himself lays them, since the emanation of תפארת acts as a crown, an adornment in the Celestial Regions. If Adam had not sinned, or, if Israel had not sinned subsequently with the golden calf, they could have laid תפילין made of אור, light. After the sin, however Israel could qualify only for תפילין של עור, phylacteries made of hide. This meant that the original light created by G–d at the very outset of creation underwent a process of contraction, i.e. lost most of its power. The Zohar expands on this theme in connection with ויעש אלוקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור, that G–d made cloaks of hide for Adam and his wife and clothed them (Genesis 3,21). It follows that כתנות עור-כתונת שש, and the תפילין, are the instruments which enable man to rehabilitate himself after he had committed the sin in the garden of Eden. משכן, similarly, is the means by which Israel rehabilitates itself after the sin of the golden calf. These concepts need further clarification.

The word שמירה has two meanings. One is that one "keeps" i.e. observes commandments which have been given. The second meaning is "waiting." One is constantly looking forward to a certain event occurring. Abraham waited for an opportunity to observe these various מצות, The expression ושמרתם לעשות means that a person should be in a frame of mind where he looks forward to fulfilling the various commandments which he has not yet had an opportunity to fulfill. In the meantime, he observes those commandments which he has found an opportunity to observe. When he relates to all of G–d's commandments in this way, the Torah promises him an equal reward for the commandments which he has not had an opportunity to fulfill. Chapter 11,32 refers to the commandments which can be fulfilled, whereas 13,1 refers to all those that cannot yet be fulfilled for one reason or another.

Our sages had this in mind when they said that if someone intended to perform a מצוה, but did not get to perform it through some accident, it is considered as if he had performed it (Berachot 6).

My late father of blessed memory has provided me with a brilliant insight into the words of Rashi (author talking). Briefly, he said that man has to perfect himself, i.e. his 248 organs and 365 tendons by performing 248 positive and 365 negative commandments. This is obviously impossible for any individual. [The author elaborated on this in his introduction.] Even a Moses could not fulfill all these commandments personally. As an example, he could not perform the priestly duties because he was not a priest. Numerous other commandments, such as a levirate marriage, simply did not present themselves for him to fulfil. We have therefore explained that the only way a person can gain credit for fulfilling these commandments is when he studies their details with a view to fulfilling them if given the opportunity. This Moses had already done to the best of his ability. Not being allowed to enter terrestrial ארץ ישראל would therefore not deprive him of these merits and the resultant new spiritual insights. G–d assured Moses then that he had already been credited with the merits of having fulfilled all of the commandments he had been unable to fulfill in person. Concerning Moses' second consideration, that of gaining a deeper understanding of the manner in which G–d guides the universe, etc., something which he thought the atmosphere of the land of Israel would provide, G–d said: אל תוסף. Whereas it is true that living in terrestrial ארץ ישראל adds to one's understanding of Celestial ארץ ישראל as far as Moses was concerned he had already reached the limits of what man on earth could achieve, even in the Holy Land. He had qualified as the "husband" of Matronita, a symbol of the attribute of מלכות ארץ ישראל של מעלה, as we have explained previously as the meaning of בכל ביתי נאמן הוא, "He is fully trusted in all parts of My house" (Numbers 12,7).

I believe that I have found a better meaning of the statement in Kidushin (that study leads to action). It is something I have discussed in connection with the tradition that our 248 limbs correspond to the 248 positive commandments of the Torah and that the 365 sinews correspond to our 365 negative commandments. One can achieve perfection of one's body by performing all the 613 commandments. In that connection we raised the question that such perfection is impossible to achieve in view of the many commandments which simply cannot be fulfilled by any individual, however pious he may be. Some can be fulfilled only by priests, others can only be fulfilled in consequence of the committing of certain sins, something which is certainly not desirable. We wrote that Rabbi Meir solved this apparent difficulty by saying that people who study Torah לשמה, for pure motives, without ulterior design, will merit many things (Avot 6,1). He did not specify what precisely these "many things" were. It seems clear that he who preoccupies himself with Torah for Torah's sake, i.e. learns in order to observe and carry out the Torah's precepts to the extent he is able to, will merit many things; this although he might not actually have had the chance to practice what he had studied. We have further proof from the Talmud (Berachot 6a) that the intention to perform a מצוה is rated as equivalent to the deed.

The author explains the tradition that G–d lays תפילין as related to the concept of the emanations. The four Torah portions that are placed within the תפילין of the head are perceived as alluding to the emanations חכמה, בינה, גדולה, גבורה, whereas the four portions in the תפילין של יד, allude to the emanations תפארת, נצח, הוד, יסוד. The תפילין on the head belong to the emanation כתר, crown, which presides over the emanations mentioned, whereas the four portions in the תפילין של יד "belong" to the lowest of the emanations מלכות. Jacob, by dint of having achieved a degree of תקון, spiritual repair work, after the damage caused to the universe by Adam, is perceived as laying תפילין in the Celestial Regions, i.e. "wearing" תפארת. The fact that the phylacteries are made of leather are a reminder of the leather garments G–d made for man after he forfeited the garments of light. It is due to Jacob's spiritual accomplishments, that wearing תפילין made of leather has become a mark of distinction rather than a reminder of man's fall from grace. The 12 stitches needed to sew together the "housings" of the phylacteries are an allusion to the assistance Jacob received from his twelve sons in performing that spiritual repair work. G–d's "laying" phylacteries can therefore be understood as G–d donning the תפארת which Jacob had attained.

Let us analyse the eight possible sources of pride which we refer to in the prayer cited above. The words מה אנחנו refer to the ability to hear, or the loss of one's hearing. When someone has caused someone else an injury resulting in his becoming deaf, he has to compensate him with all five categories of compensation the Talmud provides for (Baba Kama 85b). The words מה חיינו refer to food and drink without which life cannot be sustained. The words מה חסדנו are a reference to the eyes, and the words מה צדקותינו refer to the forehead. We are told by Rabbi Ami in Taanit 8a that rain is granted to earth only on account of בעלי אמנה, people who keep promises made in business life. He supports this with the quotation from Psalms 85,12: "Justice looks down from Heaven." The supply of rain is considered an act of צדקה. On the previous folio Rav Shilo, quoting Rav Hamnuna said that rain is withheld only on account of עזי פנים, insolent people, people with a brazen forehead. The connection between the forehead and insolence is supported by several verses from the Bible. The words מה ישועתינו refer to one's face, as we know from Psalms 80,20: האר פניך ונושעה, "Show us Your countenance that we may be delivered." G–d's "face" is indispensable to our survival. The words מה כחינו, are, of course, a reference to strength and power, and we know that the true hero is the one who can control his rages, his temper. The words מה גבורתינו are a reference to courage, something centered in the heart. It also describes an arrogant attitude. The words מה נאמר לפניך is clearly a reference to the tongue which can and will boast. The word מה in מה ה' אלוקיך שואל מעמך וגו' is an allusion to the suppression of the eight areas in which the ego asserts itself and which we vow not to assert in our morning prayer. We go so far as to state that we consider our advantage over the animals in this respect to be nil. The word ועתה in the same verse may be divided into ועת ה', that there will be a time – namely in the World to Come – when we will no longer comport ourselves as humbly as we do in this world. At that time, G–d will שואל מעמך, will be in the position of a "borrower," (שואל). A borrower is legally liable for any damage sustained by the animal or tool he has borrowed. Allegorically speaking, G–d will have to pay us the reward for all the suffering we experience in this world. This is why our Rabbis (Berachot 6a) said that if a person intends to perform a commandment and is prevented from doing so by forces beyond his control, he is nevertheless entitled to the reward for the commandment in question. ולאהבה אותו בכל לבבך, בכל נפשך – Continuing G–d's expectations from the Jewish people in 10,12 the Torah describes love of G–d to be expressed both by the heart and by the soul. These correspond to the two kinds of perfections to be attained by Israel as ישראל and as ישרון. Such love for G–d refers to the Celestial Spheres i.e. when we are in the World to Come. There is also an allusion to perfection of the way we relate to money, i.e. to life on this earth, when verse 13 continues לשמור את מצות ה' ואת חקותיו, "To observe G–d's commandments and statutes," something that cannot be done in the Hereafter. The words לטוב לך indicate the purpose of these commandments, i.e. for our own good.