<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
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mitzvos?</title><link rel="stylesheet"
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content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body>Aspaqlaria has posted a new
item, '<a href="https://www.aishdas.org/asp/why-mitzvos">Why
mitzvos?</a>'<br>
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<p>The following question appeared in the <a
href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108/" target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener">Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group</a> on
Facebook:</p>
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<div dir="auto">Been on my mind for a few years and never really discussed it,
but feel this is a good forum for it.</div>
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<div dir="auto">I have family and friends who are devout Christians, and
can’t help but be a bit jealous of their <em>emuna</em>,
<em>bitachon</em> and passion for spirituality. Now I know people will say
commanded vs not commanded is easier. But we’re <em>Maaminim Bnei
Maaminim</em>. Why are we struggling in that which should be easier for us and
seems they got it?</div>
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<div dir="auto">Is it just a feel good?</div>
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<div dir="auto">Is there a way we can see what gets them (especially
evangelicals) going and try to use those tools for our own avoda?</div>
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<div dir="auto">How does it seem they have it?</div>
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<div dir="auto">What are we missing?</div>
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<p>I answered the following, looking less at the question of anything innately
about Jews, and more about why Judaism takes work that Evangelicals seem to
succeed without:</p>
<p>I think the difference is depth.</p>
<p>What you know in your head, and what you really think about yourself and
your values, are often not deep enough to actually change behavior in the
moment of decision.</p>
<p>Think of all of us who repeatedly go on diets and cheat on them. It’s
not that you don’t know in your head it’s a dumb move. But
it’s not held deeply enough to stand up to temptation.</p>
<p>R Elya Lopian taught that the whole purpose of Mussar is to move something
one <em>ammah </em>— to move an idea from the head to the heart.
<em>Tenu’as haMussar</em> taught that to really internalize a truth, we
have to engage other modalities — <em>middah </em>exercises,
<em>hispa’alus </em>(various ways of learning to maximize emotional
impact), singing…</p>
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<p dir="rtl">רב אמר: לא נתנו המצות אלא לצרף בהן את
הבריות</p>
<p>Rav said: The <em>mitzvos</em> were only given so that people can be
refined with them.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 160px;"><em>– <a
href="https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.44.1" target="_blank"
rel="noopener">Bereishis Rabba 44:1</a> (better known from <a
href="https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Deuteronomy.22.6" target="_blank"
rel="noopener">Ramban Devarim</a><a
href="https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Deuteronomy.22.6" target="_blank"
rel="noopener"> 22:6</a>; see also “<a
href="https://www.aishdas.org/asp/divine-command-theory">Divine Command Theory
» Aspaqlaria</a>“)</em></p>
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<p>To Mussarists, this meant seeing mitzvos as Mussar exercises, ways of
turning truths about good middos into actually having better middos.</p>
<p>Now, I can profess a lot of faith, hope and passion. I can even believe I
really have that faith, hope and passion. But without working on myself
through <em>mitzvos </em>and being forced to adhere to a discipline, would I
actually have the <em>emnuah</em>, <em>bitachon </em>and <em>hislahavus
</em>at a depth necessary to the right thing more often?</p>
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You may view the latest post at<br>
<a
href="https://www.aishdas.org/asp/why-mitzvos">https://www.aishdas.org/asp/why-mitzvos</a><br>
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Best regards,<br>
micha<br>
micha@aishdas.org</body></html>