The Purpose and Psychology Behind Mitzvah Performance

A key symbol of the recently celebrated chag of Sukkos is the arba minim - lulav, hadasim, aravos and esrog. It is well known that, when purchasing arba minim, observant Jews carefully examine the details of the samples offered for sale in the hope of purchasing as beautiful a specimen as possible - i.e., a "mehudar" for each of the minim. In other words, we don't just want "kosher" arba minim; we want the best.

The source of purchasing "mehudar" arba minim is the pasuk "zeh keli v'anveyhu - This is my G-d and I will beautify him." (Shemot, BeShalach 15:2). As the gemara in Shabbos (133b) explains, how does one beautify Hashem? The first opininon (Tanna Kamma) states that one beautifies Hashem through the embellished performance of mitzvot - i.e., making a beautiful sukkah, purchasing beautiful arba minim, a beautiful shofar, etc. That is, instead of being content with performing mitzvos within the letter of the law, we seek to optimize our performance through "hidur mitzvah" - that is, by acquiring the most beautiful specimen we can find (as an aside, in the sefer Iyun B'Lomdus by Rav Yitzchak Adler, pages 20-23, there appear some interesting analyses revolving around the chakira of whether "hidur mitzvah" is deemed part and parcel of the core mitzva, or constitutes its own independent mitzvah separate and apart from the core mitzvah being beautified; various nafka minot are discussed).

What's interesting is that a second opinion is brought down in the gemara concerning the meaning of the pasuk, "Zeh keli v'anveyhu." Abba Shaul states that "V'anveyhu" teaches us to emulate Hashem: "Ma hu rachum v'chanun, af ata rachum v'chanun - Just as Hashem is merciful and compassionate, so too, you [i.e., man] should be merciful and compassionate." (Shabbos 133b). This is how we "beautify" Hashem - by emulating His attributes.

So we have two opinions: the Tanna Kamma say that "zeh keli v'anveyhu" teaches hiddur mitzvah, and Abba Shaul opines that "zeh keli v'anveyhu" teaches emulation of Hashem's attributes of mercy and compassion (i.e., moral excellence).

I wonder - are these two tanaim arguing? Are their opinions mutually exclusive? IMHO, the answer is "No," and instead, based on the teachings of Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, what we may actually have here is a progression; namely, that the stellar performance of mitzvos b'hiddur leads one to moral excellence (i.e., emulation of Hashem's attributes of mercy and compassion). If so, how does that work?

In Strive for Truth (Part 5, Parshas Va'Yetzei), Rav Dessler explains that the basic psychology behind the performance of mitzvos is that outward actions stimulate inward emotions. More specifically, the Torah commands us to continually perform mitzvot, and to pay attention to their finest details, because such external actions help facilitate internal spiritual growth and closeness to Hashem.

Thus, even when a person generally performs mitzvot somewhat perfunctorily and routinely, such mitzvot may still nevertheless exert a subtle influence over the person's "heart" if they are performed continuously and with precision. Conversely, spiritual leanings not reinforced and fixed in concrete actions, are unlikely to exert an influence over a person's behavior - that is, they are fleeting and then fade.

Interestingly, Rav Dessler's insight is corroborated by modern psychology. In his highly regarded marital counseling book Making it as a Couple: Prescription for a Quality Relationship, Dr. Allen Fay explains that one way to substantially improve a sour marital relationship in a relatively short period of time is to make simple changes in your actions to your spouse. He gives the following example:

"Suppose you and your partner have a miserable relationship that is filled with daily hostility and abuse. Let us say that you now agree to a one week truce. No matter what happens, whatever disappointments and irritations there are, you will not say a single hostile thing to each other for that one week period. Do you think that in any way at all your relationship will be better? Or, more simply, do you think you will get along any better during that week? If in addition, you agree to pay each other one compliment per day, would that help? "Maybe," you say, "But the basic feelings are still rotten." Now if both of you avoid uttering a single hostile word to each other for a period of one month, and in addition you exchange one compliment per day, and what's more, you hug each other for one minute twice a day, is it possible you will feel less angry, resentful and bitter toward each other? In other words, do you think it ever happens that behavior change precedes feeling change? I hope you do, because this principle is one of the cornerstones of modern psychological thinking, and one of the secrets of making it as a couple."

That folks, is the punchline: "one of the cornerstones of modern psychological thinking" is that "behavior change precedes feeling change." Which is precisely what Rav Dessler explained: the regular, detailed-oriented, external performance of mitzvot will positively influence our internal spiritual leanings.

And I submit that this establishes Abba Shaul's interpretation of "zeh keli v'anveyhu" as a progression from the Tanna Kamma's interpretation (rather than a contrary interpretation). Specifically, that through the optimized performance of mitzvot - "paying attention to their finest details" as Rav Dessler states - we condition ourselves to performing the will of Hashem while, at the same time over time, engendering stronger and stronger feelings of closeness to Hashem as the One who commanded these mitzvot (just as, Dr. Fay explains, simple, meaningful actions towards our spouses can enhance closeness in a marriage). And as our feelings of closeness to Hashem grow, our spirituality increases, and we want to emulate His ways. Which means being merciful and compassionate in our own lives, just as Hashem is merciful and compassionate to us.

And to think, it all begins with a simple mitzvah...

(for validation of understanding the purpose of mitzvot as refining the individual, see Ramban, Devarim 22:6, who explains the midrash (Bereishit Rabba 44:1) that mitzvot are intended "l'tzaref" people, to mean that the purpose of mitzvot is to refine a person's character and beliefs, and thus raise him or her to the highest spiritual levels; see also Maharal, Tiferes Yisrael, sec. 6-7, purpose of mitzvah is to refine a person's soul).