In this week’s parsha we find the famous words attributed to Am Yisrael of “na’aseh v’nishma” (we shall do and we shall hear). We are applauded for having had faith and accepting God’s commands even before hearing them. Yet, modern man may question such a response. It seems like we blindly accepted our religion. An intellectual would first seek to comprehend before he commits himself to practice. It is clear that Judaism welcomes and encourages the in-depth study of Torah and the pursuit of wisdom. We spend our days trying to grasp every single halacha. The Talmud is full of questions and discourse in order to derive a true understanding of every aspect of the Torah.
If so, then how do we justify this seemingly cursory response of na’aseh v’nishma which is at the foundation of our religion? Rabbi Norman Lamm, in his book Derashot Ledorot, offers three explanations
First, na’aseh v’nishma is the natural way to live Judaism. The word Halacha means “the way”. This is the way of our life. And life is lived before it is comprehended. For example, before making Aliyah, one can hire a tutor and try to teach their child the rules of the Hebrew language, its grammar and syntax. Yet, it is not until they are thrown into a classroom where only Hebrew is spoken that they begin to imitate, practice and master the language. Similarly, just by studying Judaism one would not truly appreciate the experience of a Shabbos or Seder. It is the practice of these laws and customs that turn on ba’ale teshuva more than the study of its philosophy and its commandments.
Second, when you love someone you perform acts on their behalf even if you do not fully comprehend the reason for their request. Love is the willingness to do what the beloved asks of us, simply because he or she has requested it. That is sufficient. In Judaism, one of the greatest ideals is the love between God and man. To fulfill His commandments, then to seek to understand them.
In the Sifre (Vzot Haberacha), there a midrash that describes how Hashem offered all the other nations the Torah, and their reflexive reaction was, “What is written in it? Is it good for us? Is it something we will be able to observe? Let us hear it and then we’ll decide. Hashem told them some of the prohibitions, like “do not steal,” “do not commit adultery,” and “do not murder.” Why did Hashem choose not to tell them about some of the positive mitzvos that would have been more attractive, like “love your neighbor” and “honor your parents”? Perhaps, once the nations had the nerve to even ask what was in the Torah, Hashem responded in a way that would cause them to reject the offer. If they truly “loved” God, they should have accepted his offer, without any inquiry.
Third, na’aseh v’nishma entails the act of discipline and self-restraint, without which religion has no spiritual and existential grounding. There is an idea of commitment and that I am not in charge. I have to shape my life to adhere to what He wants. Each of us has many excuses for not davening with a minyan or attending a shiur. We have so many things clamoring for our attention. Our work, social media, telephones, computers etc. We ought to put aside all rationalizations and distractions and say firmly, once and for all, “na’aseh v’nishma!
The code of our conduct, based on na’aseh v'nishma, is attributed to the angels. As we recite in our morning tefillah – “kulam ahuvim” (element of love); “kulam berurim” (natural and straightforward); “Kulam giborim” (disciplined; – as in Avos 4:1– who is mighty, he who restrains his instincts).
Despite its challenges to man’s intellectual pretension and its strangeness in the modern autonomous culture, na’aseh v’nishma is a necessary precursor to becoming a true oved Hashem.
