[Avodah] Reasons for mitzvos

[Zev Sero]

On 10/08/2012 1:48 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
> Not that I know of. But then, every mitzvah has some element of choq.
> In fact, the Ramban says that notion of the value of simply obeying the
> law (detached from reasons) is itself part of the reason for shechitah.

Malbim on the first pasuk of this week's sedra understands the pasuk
to mean that although mishpatim by their nature carry a reward with them,
as a natural consequence of obeying them, i.e. if you don't steal then
you will naturally influence others, and if enough people don't steal then
you will all live in a society where there is no stealing, which is the
most basic reward for this mitzvah, and so one would think that the only
extra reward because it is a mitzvah is in olam haba; nevertheless if you
*listen* to these mishpatim, i.e. you do them because Hashem commanded
them rather than because they make sense and for their natural reward,
then in addition to their natural reward in this world, (and in addition
to the reward which you will of course get on the next world,) Hashem
will save up for you the "bris and chesed" that was mentioned three
pesukim ago (at the end of Vo'eschanan), i.e. you will get an additional
reward in this world, in the form of yerushas ho'oretz and a good life
there.

-- 
Zev Sero        "Natural resources are not finite in any meaningful
zev at sero.name    economic sense, mind-boggling though this assertion
                  may be. The stocks of them are not fixed but rather
		 are expanding through human ingenuity."
		                            - Julian Simon