Preparing for the Mitzvos
Shavuos is approaching, and it is time to prepare for this great Yom tov.
The Chayei Adam (65:25) writes, "A person shouldn't perform a mitzvah suddenly, without preparation. He should take time to prepare himself. He should first contemplate on what is the best way to perform the mitzvah." He writes that this is implied in the pasuk רע דבר ידע לא מצוה שומר because the word שומר can be translated as "to wait" (see Bereishis 37:11, הדבר את שמר ואביו). So, the pasuk says one should wait and prepare for a mitzvah. The Chayei Adam writes that it is also implied in the pasuk (Shemos 12:17) את ושמרתם המצות, which can be explained that a person should wait before he performs a mitzvah. He should plan on how to do the mitzvah in the best way possible.
The Chayei Adam writes, "This is the reason it was established to say before performing a mitzvah לקיים ומזומן מוכן הנני, 'I am prepared to perform the mitzvah....' This means I have prepared myself, and I am ready to perform the mitzvah. This is also implied in the pasuk (Amos 4:12) אלקיך לקראת הכון ישראל, 'Prepare yourself to meet Your G-d, Yisrael.' This means you should prepare yourself for the mitzvah. You shouldn't perform the mitzvah suddenly without thinking about it beforehand.
"I have tested it," the Chayei Adam adds, "when I did a mitzvah without preparing for it, I didn't keep it properly. Therefore, one must be cautious with this matter. This can be the meaning of the pasuk: מצוה שומר, when you wait and prepare yourself before you do a mitzvah, רע דבר ידע לא, you will merit to perform the mitzvah in the best manner."
The Chayei Adam is a halachah sefer, and not a mussar sefer. Yet, he elaborates on this topic because this is how to perform mitzvos properly.
It states (Hosheia 14:10) ופושעים בם ילכו צדיקים בם יכשלו. People say that this pasuk is expressing the difference between a tzaddik and a sinner. A tzaddik prepares himself for the mitzvos- בם ילכו; he goes to prepare them. Whereas the פושעים, sinners, בם יכשלו, stumble onto the mitzvos without any prior preparation.
The Preparation for a Mitzvah is Greater than the Mitzvah
Tzaddikim said that the preparation for a mitzvah is greater than the performance of the mitzvah.
Proof of this concept is that Chazal (Tanchuma, Emor 2) tell us that the four days after Yom Kippur, we don't have any aveiros. We are occupied by preparing for the mitzvos of the yom tov, and that brings us atonement. However, on the first day of Succos, when we perform the mitzvos, we begin a new cheshbon, and aveiros are now counted. (This is alluded to in the pasuk, ביום לכם ולקחתם הראשון, that we should take the lulav and esrog the first day of succos, and Chazal explain that it is the first day for the reckoning of the aveiros.) We see from this source that we attain atonement when we prepare for the mitzvos and not when we perform them. And this indicates that the preparation is greater than the mitzvos, themselves.
The Taz (581) asks, how can this be? How can preparing for mitzvos be greater than the first day of Succos, when we sit in succah and take the four minim? How can it be that we attain atonement when we prepare for the mitzvos and not when we perform the mitzvos?
The Sfas Emes writes (Bechukosei 5644), "The chachamim (Yoma 29.) say, קשין עבירה הרהורי מעבירה, thinking about aveiros is worse than actually performing aveiros. The opposite is also true. Thinking about doing a mitzvah is better than performing the mitzvos themselves. The rectification of his soul is based on the extent of his desire and attempt to serve Hashem."
The Imrei Emes (Succos, second night, 5691) proves the greatness of preparing for mitzvos from the השואבה בית שמחת, celebrated in the beis hamikdash. The celebration was to rejoice with the mitzvah of pouring water on the mizbeiach, which is performed on Succos. The Gemara describes in detail this great celebration, and it is evident that most of the celebration occurred before they poured water on the mizbeiach. At the actual time of the mitzvah, music isn't played, and there isn't much joy (at least not in an external sense). The Imrei Emes zt'l said that this indicates the greatest joy for the mitzvos is when one prepares to perform the mitzvos.
Another indication is from the menorah in the Beis HaMikdash. The halachah is (Yoma 24:, and it is written in Rambam, Hilchos Beis Hamikdash 9:7) that someone who isn't a kohen may light the menorah in the Beis haMidkdash. However, only a kohen may prepare the menorah for lighting it. This shows that the preparation is greater than the mitzvah.
On Yom Kippur, the kohen gadol placed the ketores on the coals in the holiest place, the kodesh hakadoshim. The Tzedokim (the apikorsim) said the kohen gadol should place the ketores on the coals outside the kodesh Hakadoshim. We can explain that the Tzedokim felt that the holiest place in the world is not the right place to prepare the ketores. Therefore, they thought it better to prepare the ketores outside the kodesh kadoshim. The chachamim, however, prove from pasukim that the ketores should be lit in the kodesh hakadoshim. It isn't a problem to do this deed in the Kodesh Hakadoshim because it is preparing for a mitzvah, which is even greater than performing the mitzvah.
