Hashem promises us great prosperity if we “go in My statutes.” Seemingly, that would mean fulfilling the commandments of Hashem, except that the next part of the verse speaks about “doing” the mitzvos. What then is meant by “going” in Hashem’s statutes? Rashi tells us, quoting Toras Kohanim, that this means toiling in Torah.
More than just study, toiling in Torah is working hard to understand what’s really going on. It means trying to get into Hashem’s head, so-to-speak, to understand what He wants, so we can give it to Him. Even if the Torah tells us specifically what to do, having a sense of the motivation so we can fulfill the mitzvos in the best way possible, takes some work.
That’s why Rashi explains the end of the verse, about guarding and fulfilling the mitzvos, to require that toil previously mentioned. Anything worth doing is worth doing well, and in order to do that, we’ve got to put in the effort. Of course, then, the rewards will be well worth it too!
