What is the meaning of the word “mitzvah”?
Table for Five: Eikev
In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you? Only to fear the Lord, your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to worship the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, which I command you this day, for your good. -Deut. 10:12-13
Rabbi Shmuel Reichman
Best Selling Author, TED Talk Speaker, and Business Coach
There is perhaps nothing more misunderstood in Torah and Judaism that the meaning of the word “mitzvah.” The simple understanding is that a mitzvah is a command from Hashem, requiring us to obey His will. The Maharal, however, suggests a fundamentally deeper understanding of mitzvos. He explains that the word and concept of mitzvah is rooted in the word “tzavta,” the Aramaic word for “connection.” A mitzvah isn’t simply obeying a command, as a soldier obeys the will of his commander. Rather, it is a way for us to connect, spiritually and existentially, to Hashem, our source of existence.
When we perform an action, we act as an extension and manifestation of the one who willed and commanded it. To illustrate, when you decide to lift your arm, the act originates within your will, and your lifted arm is an expression of that original will. When Hashem commands something and we fulfill that command, we bond to and become part of something infinitely greater than ourselves, i.e., Hashem. Hashem wanted this to happen, and you are now accepting His will, attaching yourself to it, and making His will your own. By performing a mitzvah, you become a true embodiment and reflection of Hashem in this world. By reflecting the will of Hashem, you become transcendent!
Rabbi Natan Halevy
WWW.KAHALJOSEPH.ORG
What Does It Mean to Fear Hashem? A Third Path of Yirah (fear).
Jewish tradition often speaks of fearing Hashem, but what kind of fear is truly expected? Two classic approaches are commonly discussed. One is fear of punishment—an instinctive reaction that restrains behavior out of concern for consequences. The other is awe of Hashem’s greatness, cultivated through intellectual contemplation of divine majesty.
Both paths have limitations. Fear of punishment may control behavior but is self-centered and emotionally shallow. It lacks depth and can become robotic. Awe born of abstract thought may inspire wonder but often lacks emotional closeness or moral urgency. One may feel overwhelmed and distant from the divine without feeling personally connected or called to ethical action.
There is, however, a third path—a deeper, lasting form of fear. It arises from gratitude. When a person recognizes Hashem’s kindness—life, sustenance, redemption, guidance—they naturally respond with love. From that love grows a higher kind of awe: not trembling, but reverence; not fear of harm, but a deep desire not to betray the relationship. This fear sustains devotion—not rooted in threat or intellectualism, but in appreciation. It flows from the heart and leads to meaningful service. It is the soul’s way of honoring the One who gives abundantly and asks only for loyalty in return.
To fear Hashem, then, is not to cower, nor merely to marvel, but to love so deeply that one cannot imagine turning away. That is the fear that elevates, softens, and transforms a life, amen.
Rabbi Nicole Guzik
Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple
What is holy love?
Often, we measure how we feel love based on emotional output. How passionate, fiery, joyful, or ecstatic is our love? But many of us would agree emotional aspects of love are hard to maintain throughout the duration of long-term relationships. Some days are easier to offer emotional connections than others.
Which is why love must also be defined through action. We love through doing. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin teaches, “Another reason why it is important to define the commandment to love in terms of behavior rather than emotions: emotions are vague and can be difficult, sometimes impossible to delineate….It is only when love is defined in terms of behavior that people can be offered practical guidance in how to treat others.”
What should love look like? While love doesn’t negate emotions, love is actualized through a series of reliable behaviors between two parties. Children may not always “like” their parents, but children should see and feel love through steady, safe behaviors. Daily routine is a symbol of love. Partners need to consistently communicate their needs and the ways they can reliably support each other. Adult children may show parents love by taking them to doctors’ appointments or offering appropriate, timely phone calls. The love within each relationship is defined by a series of agreed upon behaviors.
Love can include surprises, excitement, and spontaneity. But holy love is grounded in trust and dependability. May we love each other with all our heart, might and soul.
Kira Sirote
Author of Haftorah Unrolled, Ra’anana, Israel
“What does Hashem ask of you? Just to fear Hashem your G-d (oh and also follow Him, love Him, serve Him)”. Rashi says: “Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except the fear of Heaven.”
Fear of Heaven has gone out of favor in recent generations. We talk about the rest of the verse, especially “love Him”, and we talk about how much greater Teshuva from Love is than Teshuva from Fear. But when the Torah wants to point to one thing that Hashem really needs us to do, that He can’t do for us, and He can’t make us do, it is fearing Him.
At its core, fear of Heaven is the realization that He sees you and can move everything else in the world for you – or against you. If everything is in the hands of Heaven, then you can have fear of Heaven. If not, if you don’t believe that He knows or cares or can affect your world, then it’s all up to you. What decisions will you make then?
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour, a thinker deeply familiar with all three monotheistic religions, pointed out: “Raping, pillaging, and abusing women does not require a metaphysical belief. Respecting abstract human rights does.” Without the metaphysical belief that what He thinks of us matters, people revert to the most base of behaviors: “might-makes-right”, and “it’s-only-a-crime-if-you-get-caught”.
Hashem asks a lot of us – but the first step has to be that acknowledgment of His presence and His power. Yes, fear.
Rabbi Brett Kopin
Founder, The Six11 Project
In Milton Steinberg’s “As A Driven Leaf,” Rabbi Akiva and Elisha ben Abuya debate: how do we actually know that God cares about us and wants us to follow the commandments? Why not just live a life based on subjective reasoning, inspired by the sciences? After a heated exchange, Akiva uses a metaphor of a circle to explain his position as a faith-based person. To paraphrase, he says that faith is the center point of his life. His beliefs, judgments, and behaviors revolve around that point. He can only know how well he placed his faith based on the quality of his life. In other words, while we will never fully understand God’s will, we can understand how our lives improve when we live according to the values of Torah and mitzvot. Whether God actually rested on the seventh day or not, I can say beyond a doubt that the quality of my life enhances each week when I step away from work and celebrate Shabbat with friends and family. Whether or not the events on Mt. Sinai occurred exactly as we understand them, I can attest that studying Torah dramatically improves my life in myriads of ways. By living a life centered around Torah and the goodness it brings, my faith, and desire to follow mitzvot, naturally increases. This, I believe, is what the Torah means when it says “for your good.” Follow me, God says, and the goodness of your life will increase.
With thanks to Rabbi Shmuel Reichman, Rabbi Natan Halevy, Rabbi Nicole Guzik, Kira Sirote and Rabbi Brett Kopin.
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