Sefer Agra D’Kallah writes that this pasuk hints that every Jew is obligated to rectify his neshama by fulfilling all 613 mitzvos. There are, however, some mitzvos that people cannot do. (For example, someone living in Chutz La’aretz cannot perform the mitzvos that can only be done in Eretz Yisroel and someone who is not a kohen cannot do mitzvos that are specific to kohanim.) But if one learns the halachos of these mitzvos and if one looks forward and yearns for the day when he can fulfill them, it is considered as if he did them. If one disregards these mitzvos completely, however, he must come back to this world in a gilgal until he does them.
This pasuk begins with the word “v’haya“, which always connotes happiness. The verse is stating that if someone hears all of Hashem’s laws by learning about them, even if he is unable to fulfill them, he will not have to come back to this world in a gilgal. The pasuk continues to say that one can also “guard and do them“, meaning that one can yearn for the day when he will be able to fulfill them, which also is considered as if he did the mitzvos.
The Shlah Hakadosh (Torah Shebiksav, Parshas Va’eschonon) writes similarly that the 613 mitzvos that Hashem gave us complete and perfect a person, with each mitzvah corresponding to the perfection of one of the 248 limbs and 365 sinews of the body.
The Shlah adds that even though no one can fulfill all 613 mitzvos – as one who is not a kohen cannot do the mitzvos that are specific for kohanim and most people cannot do the mitzvah of yibum, chalitzah or machzir gerushaso, for example – there is still a way that one can be considered as if he fulfilled every mitzvah.
He explains with a moshol of a king who writes all the laws of the country in a letter that he sends to all of his citizens. Everyone receives the letter and does whatever they can do. Some join the army and go out to fight wars, others build the king’s palace, and others collect the taxes. When one does his part in this way, he earns the title of “servant of the king.“ Since one does what he can, and he would do more if he possibly could, it is considered as if he did everything.
So too, Hashem tells us in His Torah what He wants us to do. We read the Torah and do whatever we can. We read every mitzvah and see which of them we can do, and we do all that we can. In this way, we are called “servants of Hashem“, and it is considered as if we kept every mitzvah of Torah because Hashem knows that we really want to do them all, and He rewards us for our good thoughts as if we actually did the action.
