R’ Micha Berger has written a fine essay pointing out that mitzvah observance is a means, and we need to do more if we want to achieve the goal of Torah and mitzvos. I’m assuming he doesn’t disagree with the Ramchal in the chapter on Human Responsibility in Derech Hashem where he says:
We therefore see that the true purpose of the commandments is to turn us toward G-d, bring ourselves near to Him, and thus be enlightened by His Presence, to avoid sin and other phenomena that lead us away from G-d. This is the true purpose of all the commandments.
In a post titled Getting Better Mileage from our Mitzvah Observance, I pointed out that according to the Ramchal in Mesillas Yesharim:
Observing mitzvos are indeed the means, but the goal is to continually growing in our connection to Hashem. If we don’t notice progress in that goal of closer connection, then we’re not getting the appropriate value from our mitzvah observance.
The Mesillas Yesharim also tells us what we’re doing wrong, we’re not focused on improving our performance of the mitzvos. We need to be more careful in their observance, and more mindful when we perform them. If we follow the Torah’s prescription in mitzvah performance, we will achieve the goal of continuous growth in our connection to Hashem.
In the previous mentioned post and a post around Chanukah time, I suggested we work on our Kavanna in the following four things:
1) Say one Birchos HaMitzvot each day with Kavanna
2) Say one Shema each with Kavanna
3) Start one Shomoneh Esrai each day with Kavanna
4) Say one Birchos Hanehenin each day with Kavanna
When Rebbetzin Heller was in the U.S. in November, I had the pleasure of having dinner with her and I mentioned the above project and asked her opinion. She said that if a person could do these four things daily, it would be transformational. She also pointed out that because we do these things every day, it is difficult to say them with Kavanna.
When a friend from Baltimore stayed by us for Chanukah, I mentioned this project. He also agreed that it would be amazing, but that it’s hard.
So that’s situation we find ourselves. If we can do some of the mitzvos that we’re already doing, with a little more Kavanna, we can take ourselves to a higher spiritual level and perhaps in the process we can motivate those around us to reach for higher levels. It’s hard, because of the regularity with which we perform these mitvos, but it’s definitely within our grasp. I’m still working on it and encouraging others who are interested to join me.
Yes, growth and change are hard – so what are we waiting for?
Thank you so much for the positive feedback!
One thing that made the ending of my essay weaker than it could be was that I didn’t want to advocate one way of viewing the goal of observance over another. It hampered my ability to advocate any one specific approach over another. For one person the answer might lie in a Bilvavi-based approached. Another might find one of the various forms of Chassidus, works best for their soul. Someone may find it in R’ Hirsch, another in R’ Kook’s teachings, a third in R’ Hutner’s, someone else in R’ JB Soloveitchk’s, And so on.
Based on my makeup, inclinations and background, I do personally embrace a self-refinement approach. But a humanistic definition of refinement, drawing more from R’ Shimon Shkop than the Ramchal. Which is why I translated R Shimon’s introduction to Shaarei Yosher (up to his segue into thank-yous).
While the Ramchal sees the purpose of olam hazeh to be perfecting oneself to be a recepticle of Hashem’s Good, R’ Shimon sees it as partnering with Him to bestow good on others, and to perfect one’s ability to do so. Both discuss self-refinement (R’ Shimon’s yeshiva in Grodno had mandatory membership in a mussar va’ad), but they have different descriptions of what the polished diamond looks like. Yes, they’re looking at the same diamond from different angles. All of the 70 facets of the Torah are depictions from different angles. But how we prioritize our service of Hashem and how we view and relate to it, will differ.
An example: Because a Chassid’s focus is on connecting to the Almighty, he may choose the obligation to pray with kavvanah (intent) even if it means spending so much time preparing for it that the proper time is missed. However, a Jew with a more “Lithuanian” or German approach would choose developing timeliness, schedule and order over kavvanah, and fulfill the law of proper time even if kavvanah suffers.
So, you write, “I’m assuming he doesn’t disagree with the Ramchal in the chapter on Human Responsibility in Derech Hashem where he says: ‘We therefore see that the true purpose of the commandments is to turn us toward G-d, bring ourselves near to Him…”
I wouldn’t say I disagree, on the other hand, that’s not quite the part of the elephant this blind man touched. Poor choice of metaphor; more accurately, that’s not the aspect of Hashem’s infinite message that most touches me, based on where I stand in relationship to it.