The Ultimate Purpose of Mitzvos Is to Believe That All of Nature Is Hidden Miracles
Important Foundations for Life
Parashas Bo features the legendary Ramban that appears at the end of the parashah. This segment of Ramban encompasses numerous yesodos in emunah that greatly complement much of what we have been learning in Chovos HaLevavos Sha’ar HaBitachon.
Tzaddikim would say that this Ramban must be studied and reviewed over and over—and that a Yid must always live with these holy words, for they are transformative and foundational, and they have the power to overhaul our entire mindset and alter the course of our lives for the better.
A Rule in All Mitzvos
The Ramban elucidates the pasuk בחזק כי עיניך בין ולטוטפות ידך על לאות והיה ממצרים ה' הוציאנו יד, and it [the tefillin] shall be a sign upon your arm, and an ornament between your eyes, for with a strong hand Hashem removed us from Mitzrayim (Shemos 13:16).
Says the Ramban: I will now reveal to you an ironclad rule that ap- plies to all mitzvos—not only the mitzvah of tefillin. Every time you fulfill a mitzvah, you should know the ultimate purpose of all mitzvos.
The Errors of the Generation of Enosh
Soon after the Creation of the world, the deviations from the proper path began. In the generation of Enosh, mistakes and distortions began in the realm of emunah.
There were those who denied entirely the existence of the Ribbono shel Olam. Others denied His knowledge of everything that happens in the world. And then there were those who acknowledged that the Ribbono shel Olam knows everything that transpires, but they believed He had abandoned control of the world—and that the world is led by nature alone.
Fulfilling Mitzvos Is a Vehicle for Remembering the Truth
But the Ribbono shel Olam wants His children to constantly remem- ber the truth: that He created the world; that He knows everything that transpires in the world; and that He conducts all events in the world with great mercy and kindness.
The Ribbono shel Olam is a tov u’meitiv, He is good and He does good—and therefore He wants His children to always remember these truths, because this is the best thing for a person... to know and bear in mind that everything that transpires with him is directly from Hash- em, and it is rooted in great mercy and kindness.
Therefore, Hashem outlined a pathway in the Torah to ensure that we will always remember the truth. By adhering to the Torah and its mitzvos, we will keep these truths before our eyes. And when a person is tethered to this knowledge, everything in his life will be so good, in This World and in the Next World. It is for this reason that the Ribbono shel Olam arranged the Torah in this way, so that it will assist a person to remain connected and tethered to this tremendous good.
Step One: “Know That I Am Hashem in the Midst of This Land”
Explains the Ramban that the Ribbono shel Olam built an edifice... a pathway for every Yid to be able to remember these truths. The first step is that Hashem performed nature-altering miracles—miracles that completely altered the course of nature in the world, such as what Klal Yisrael witnessed in Egypt. Every aspect of nature—water, earth, light, etc.—was altered during the Makkos. “Because a wondrous miracle proves that there is a G-d Who renews the world, and knows, and oversees, and can do....”
The Ramban adds that the proof of a living Creator is only com- pounded when a Navi makes known the miracle beforehand—such as in Mitzrayim, when Moshe Rabbeinu foretold the great miracles before they arrived, and they transpired just as he said they would.
When we see that things happen precisely the way Hashem said they would, we become secure in the knowledge that: the Ribbono shel Olam created the world, and that He knows what transpires here, and that He oversees everything that happens in This World.
The Great Purpose of Miracles
Continues the Ramban: When Hashem wants an individual or a community [to believe in Him], He performs a miracle that alters the course of nature, and then it becomes clear to all that everything is submitted [to Him].
That is, when Hashem performs a miracle for all of Klal Yisrael or for an individual, it is always with the same purpose in mind: that we begin living with the clear knowledge that He runs the entire world.
It is for this reason, the Ramban points out, that the Torah uses the words ‘למען תדע כי אני בקרב הארץ', 'למען תדע כי לה' הארץ', 'בעבוד תדע כי אין הארץ' בכל כמוניdifferent expressions of knowledge that Hashem is dom-— in the world—in relation to the Makkos. For this was their ultimate purpose: that we know and internalize that He controls everything, and no one can prevent Him from doing so. The miracles are thus reliable witnesses for the belief in the Creator and in the entire Torah.
Step Two: Mitzvos That Commemorate Yetziyas Mitzrayim
Now the Ramban reveals to us another step in the pathway. “Because Hashem will not perform miracles in every generation before the eyes of every rasha or denier.... The Ribbono shel Olam will not now begin to prove His existence and dominance to everyone who became lost or confused in his ta’avos. There is, after all, an order of nature with which Hashem designed the world.
Therefore, Hashem has commanded us to make “a commemoration and a sign for the things that our eyes saw.” We should remember these signs—the times Hashem altered the course of nature—and transmit these memories to our future generations, because this will cause them to retain their emunah. In this way, everyone will always remember the truth that Hashem created the world and that He oversees every detail.
Fulfilling Mitzvos Permeates Us with Emunah
According to the Ramban, many mitzvos in the Torah were designed with this very purpose in mind—to serve as a commemoration that Hashem has taken us out of Mitzrayim, an event from which we see that He conducts the entire world. It is for this reason that the Torah was so stringent regarding the mitzvos of Pesach—punishing with ka- reis one who doesn’t offer the Korban Pesach or one who eats chametz on Pesach. Do you know why it’s so severe?! Because these mitzvos have a special purpose: to illuminate and etch into the heart of every Yid the miracles and signs of Yetziyas Mitzrayim, which are the foundation for our emunah.
It’s also for this reason that we were commanded to write the story of Yetziyas Mitzrayim in the tefillin that we don on our head and hands, as well as the mezuzos that we affix on our doorposts. We also invoke it every morning and evening during Shema, and we sit in succos every year—all so we should remember that Hashem altered teva, He changed the course of nature. This impresses upon the person the knowledge that Hashem supervises and oversees the entire world and everything in it.
It is this way for all mitzvos... even the smallest mitzvah. If a Yid approaches the mitzvah properly, he will through it come to a clearer awareness of Hashem’s dominance in the world.
The Declaration of the Mezuzah
Continues the Ramban: For when one purchases a mezuzah for one zuz [a tiny sum of money], he affixes it at the opening of his home, and he had in mind [the signs and miracles of Yetziyas Mitzrayim that are written therein], he has already declared his belief in the Ribbono shel Olam’s renewal of Creation, in his knowledge of the Creator, in his supervision of This World, as well as in prophecy and a belief in all corners of the Torah. By affixing this mezuzah, you have declared your belief in the entire Torah!
Furthermore, he says, by placing the mezuzah, one is in essence thank- ing Hashem for the kindness He does for those who carry out His will. He proclaims that the Ribbono shel Olam runs the world—which is what we witnessed at Yetziyas Mitzrayim—and he engages in praise and thanks to the Ribbono shel Olam!
Appreciating the Value of Our “Small” Mitzvos
Sometimes, a person purchases a home, and he must affix mezuzos. He looks for the most affordable ones, because it hurts him to incur such a large expense. He thinks about all the myriad expenses he has just taken upon himself with the purchase of his home... and now he must buy twenty mezuzos. When he does affix them, he thinks about getting a good picture of the distinguished person whom he invited to affix a mezuzah.
Says the Ramban to this person: Do you have any idea what you’re accomplishing here?! When you place a mezuzah on your door, and you remember that the Ribbono shel Olam runs the entire Creation, you have now proclaimed your belief in every corner of the Torah!
The Third Step: The Intention of All Mitzvos Is to Believe in Our G-d
After we have learned the second step, that all mitzvos that were ex- pressly given to us so that we should remember Yetziyas Mitzrayim—and through this to remember that Hashem has created the world, and that He runs the world—we now come to the third step in the edifice: Essen- tially, all 613 mitzvos were given to us for the purpose of remembering that there is a G-d on This World.
“And for this reason, Chazal have told us: ‘Be vigilant regarding a light mitzvah just as you would be regarding a severe mitzvah’—for all mitzvos are deeply cherished and beloved, because, at every mo- ment, one praises his G-d by performing these mitzvos.
The Purpose of the Entire Creation
Continues the Ramban: And this is the purpose of the entire Cre- ation. We have no other reason for the Creation other than that we should know and believe that there is a Creator, and to see the good that He does for us, and to give thanks to the Ribbono shel Olam for having created him! This is the reason that Hashem Yisborach created the world. “He has no desire for the creations down below other than for a person to know [that Hashem has created him] and give praise to his G-d for having been created.
“And it is for this reason that we gather in the Batei Midrash to daven together with a loud tone—for in this way, people will have a designated place to gather to give thanks and praise to the Aibishter Who has created them, to publicize this, and to proclaim to Him: ‘We are Your creations.’”
The Fourth Step: There Is No Nature
We have learned about the first three steps in the edifice: 1) That Yetziyas Mitzrayim was the eternal sign—proof that the Ribbono shel Olam oversees and controls every aspect of Creation, 2) That there are therefore numerous special mitzvos whose purpose it is to serve as a reminder of Yetziyas Mitzrayim and of this truth, and 3) that essentially all mitzvos are vehicles to remember that there is a G-d.
The Ramban now takes us to the fourth step:
And through the great and renowned miracles, a person will come to appreciate the hidden miracles that are the foundation of the entire Torah. When a person remembers and appreciates the legendary and well-known miracles, this brings him to appreciate the hidden miracles that Hashem does for him every day, and this recognition is the yesod, the foundation of the entire Torah.
Internalizing That Everything Is Hidden Miracles
The Ramban follows this up with these incredible words: For one does not have a part in the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu until he be- lieves that all his affairs and happenings are all miracles; there does not exist ‘nature’ and the “course of the world.” By recognizing the big and famous miracles, a person comes to realize that the entire natural order is one big miracle! The entire עולם של מנהגו, order of the world, is simply the way in which Hashem conducts the affairs of the world—for the masses as well as for the individual—in a miraculous way. And we must recognize that there really is no “natural order.” Everything is a miraculous order conducted by Hashem.
If a person fulfills the mitzvos, his reward will be success—and if he transgresses the mitzvos, his punishment will pursue him. The rea- son for all struggles and difficulties is distance from Hashem; everything is from Above.
This is the pinnacle of what we must aim for. After a person remem- bers Yetziyas Mitzrayim, and after he has gone through the first three stages, the ultimate point is to recognize that our affairs and our lives are all one great miracle.... A person will recognize and appreciate that everything happening in the world is all nissim, and there really is no “nature.”
Mitzvos and Emunah Are Really One
The Hidden Power of Every Mitzvah
When we study these holy words, we notice a deeper theme. First,
