[Avodah] Must we agree with the Torah?

[Kenneth Miller]

R' Zev Sero wrote:

> ... perhaps, now that you know Hashem says they're bad, it
> would be proper, a midas chassidus, not to *pretend* not
> to like them, but to develop a genuine distaste for them.
> Perhaps now that you know He doesn't like them you ought
> to try to become like Him by not liking them either.

How can one possibly accomplish this, without knowing *why* Hashem doesn't like them? How can one "develop a genuine distaste"?

Perhaps this is a reason to learn Taamei Hamitzvos. If a person *does* like (for example) pork ribs, the only way I can imagine that one might "try to become like Him by not liking them either" would b by learning what it is about pork ribs that Hashem doesn't like.

Personally, I dislike dry wine. But I understand that it might be worthwhile to learn to like it. I'd imagine that a good way to "learn to like it" is by sitting with a person who understands such wine, tasting it with him, and have him point out the various aspects that I had not noticed before. The exact same procedure might work for someone who wants to learn to appreciate fine art.

And so too for mitzvos. To appreciate the importance of staying away from pork, I must allow myself to be taught those nuances, from people who already understand and appreciate such things.

But this will not work 100%. Eventually, we will have to confront the idea that this mitzvah -- or ANY mitzvah -- is ultimately a chok, and not subject to our understanding or appreciation.

And perhaps this is another reason why Rav Elazar Ben Azarya said, "I *do* want to." The highest level is to simply subjugate one's desires to Hashem's command, and this is the person who sees the mitzvos as chukim. The person whose mindset includes an understanding and appreciation of why pork is bad - has he really subjugated himself? Where is the Kabalas Ol Malchus Shamayim?

R' Micha Berger wrote:

> But it's unclear to me that malkhus Shamayim necessarily
> means a blind "ana avda deQBH" or if it also includes
> agreeing with what we understand of His Reasons for making
> that gezeira.

For a long time I was bothered by the idea that a Metzuveh V'Oseh gets more sechar than an Aino Metzuveh. It seemed to me that the volunteer is more praiseworthy than the employee or the slave. The answer I've liked best is that the Aino Metzuveh is doing it for reasons that appeal to him. Whatever those reasons might be, he would most likely not be doing the mitzvah if he didn't see some value in it. As such, there is less of a Kiddush Hashem in his actions, as compared to when a Metzuveh does the mitzvah, whether he wants to or not.

Similarly here: If someone does not want to eat pork -- even if that lack of desire results from learning taamei hamitzvos -- then his refraining does not demonstrate any subservience. The one who does want it but refrains anyway - he is doing a Kiddush Hashem.

Akiva Miller
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