Like our Sages say, “The reasons for the Mitzvos were never revealed [by Hashem].” However, in the Future Era [after Moshiach comes], when Hashem desires to reveal them, then they will be revealed.
This is the meaning of the statement, “Rabbi Shimon [Ben Yochai] would explain the reasoning of the verses.” (Baba Metzia 115a)
He would explain that the reason for mitzvos mentioned in the verse is not really the main reason for it, rather, there is a higher [deeper] reason for them that is beyond our understanding.
For example, with regard to a Jewish king, the Torah says that he may not marry more than 18 wives. The reason given (in Devarim 17:17) is that “he should not increase for himself wives in order that his heart not be turned away [from serving Hashem].”
The Gemara explains that according to Rabbi Shimon, the king cannot marry even one wife who will turn his heart from Hashem. Even though the reason mentioned in the verse is an explanation for why he cannot marry many wives, and not why he cannot have even one wife who is improper, nonetheless, Rabbi Shimon explains that the reason for the mitzvah of not having too many wives is avoid any negative effect on the king. Therefore, even one improper wife is forbidden. The fact that the verse mentions that he should not have too many wives is a separate prohibition - that he should not have more than 18 wives, even if they are all righteous and he wishes to add another righteous wife.
We see from Rabbi Shimon’s approach that even where the verse itself gives a reason for a mitzvah, there is more to the reasoning of the mitzvah than what the verse says, since he interprets the verse’s reason of “in order that his heart not be turned away,” as an additional prohibition against marrying even one improper wife, rather than as an explanation for why he cannot marry more than 18 wives.
We see from this that (according to Rabbi Shimon) whenever the Torah gives a “reason” for a mitzvah, it is actually providing additional details to the mitzvah, since the ultimate reasons for the mitzvos are completely beyond human understanding and were never revealed.
Resultantly, a mitzvah where the person does not grasp any logical explanation for it is higher [in a certain aspect] than if he would have some understanding of the mitzvah.
This simple fulfillment of the mitzvah, out of pure dedication to Hashem, without one’s own intellect being mixed in, expresses the real truth of the mitzvah: That it is completely beyond human understanding, and any understanding is limiting the mitzvah, [in a certain sense].
Any understanding and enjoyment that a person perceives in fulfilling the mitzvah is only an “external” aspect of Hashem’s revelation that is able to become limited to a level that we can understand and enjoy.
This approach is not like the general approach that many people have, that the main service of Hashem depends on what we feel in our hearts, and that we should have enjoyment and excitement in our service of Hashem. But this is not the truth.
Rather, [the truth is that] the main service of Hashem is just the actual performance of the mitzvos, even without personal enjoyment, and the purpose of the excitement of the heart is only to help the mitzvos by being “wings” to make them fly up to holiness.
The actual service of Hashem is the act of doing what He wants, regardless of one’s feelings.
We see from all of this that there is an advantage in knowing the details of how to fulfill the mitzvos (as explained in the Beraisa and Gemara) even over the knowledge of the Mishna, which contains all of the Oral Torah in a general manner. This is because the main thing is the actual performance of the mitzvos, even if we don’t understand the reasoning for these details. Not only that, but the fact that we can’t understand the reasons for the details is because they are rooted in Hashem’s Wisdom, which is far deeper than any human understanding can relate to or grasp.
Thus, the main way that we can establish our connection to Hashem is not based on what we can understand and feel, which is inherently limited, but on the performance of His mitzvos, which, being His Will and His Wisdom, contain infinite depth, beyond what any created being could ever fathom.
Love and Fear as Wings for Mitzvos
In Tanya chapters 39 and 40 the Alter Rebbe describes how the love and fear of Hashem are the two “wings” that cause our Torah and Mitzvos to “fly up” to Hashem, i.e. to became spiritually elevated to a level where their holiness can be revealed.
