[Avodah] The Main Idea of Judaism

[Akiva Miller]

R' Chaim Manaster suggested:

> The Main Idea of Judaism
>
> I think the answer is trivially simple! It is to do the rotzon
> of HKB"H at all times to the best of your ability. All the
> rest is detail and that is far from trivial.

I have long felt exactly that way, and I've often quoted Devarim 10:12-13 in support of it:

"Now, Israel, what does Hashem ask of you? Only that you respect Hashem your G-d, go in His ways, love Him, and serve Hashem your G-d with all your heart and all your soul, keeping Hashem's mitzvos and laws, which I command you today, for your own good."

That's all. Just that one thing. No biggie.

Well, yeah, the details are indeed far from trivial. But still, they're just details. Tze ul'mad.

R' Micha Berger answered:

> 1- Tell me how you view Hashem's goal for a human, so that
> one can plan how to conform to His Will for them?
> 2- What I find more interesting, because #1 has SO MANY valid
> answers, all of which are necessarily incomplete, how would
> you reach an answer to #1?

(Disclaimer: I am not necessarily disagreeing. I'll just say why that answer doesn't work FOR ME.)

I think you're being too grandiose. Let Hashem worry about what His goal is for me as an individual, or for us as a group. My responsibility, at any given point in time, is to figure out what He expects of me right NOW. Situations change, and even I change, and what He'll want of me tomorrow may differ from what He expected yesterday. It is constantly in flux, and my job is to keep my eyes on the ikar: Only that I respect Hashem my G-d, go in His ways, love Him, and serve Him. Just that one thing.

I have often wondered if this pasuk might be the source for the concept of "osek b'mitzvah, patur min hamitzvah", which might be loosely translated as, "At any given moment, as long as you're doing what HaShem wants you to do, don't worry about missed opportunities for other mitzvos, because there really is only one mitzvah, namely, to do His ratzon."

I think that what I'm saying is similar to what R' Doron Beckerman wrote:

> And, thus, the GRA there circles back to this: "Nowadays we
> should not go with grand and phenomenal ideas (Gedolos
> Veniflaos). We must only ascertain  that our actions should
> be unto Hashem, meaning, in accordance with His Will...

Akiva Miller

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