"See, that I present before you today." The question is, what is the meaning m ¤ki ¥p §t ¦l ¦ “before you?” Another question is asked: we know from the Gemarra (Kiddushim 39a) "rfa" tfhk tnkg htvc vumn that all rewards for Mitzvahs are given in the World to come, and not in this world, yet here the reward for doing the Mitzvah is promised in this physical world?
However, the Kedushas Yom Tov [father of Rabbi Yoel of Satmar] brings from the Yismach Moshe that the reward for the actual Mitzvah is given only in the world to come. But for the vbfv the preparations for doing a Mitzvah, there is a reward in this physical world. He derives this from what transpired by Yaakov Aveinu. When he sent angels to Esav the Torah says: (s ck ,hatrc) Æmi ¦k ̈` §l ©n a ³w£r«©i g ̧©l §W ¦I ©e "ei ½ ̈p ̈t §l"
What is the meaning "ei ½ ̈p ̈t §l" when it should have been suffice to state? Æmi ¦k ̈` §l ©n a ³w£r«©i g ̧©l §W ¦I ©e However, the answer is based on a difficult question: How was Yaakov allowed to utilize his good angels to see what his brother Eisav was up to? Yet if these angels were created from his Mitzvos, then, in essence, Yaakov was reaping a reward from his Mitzvah, and we have just learnt that there is no reward in this world.
Therefore, the Torah teaches us that these angels were created from the Hachana, the preparation of doing Mitzvos, and from here we derive that one gets rewarded for this in this world. Hence, Yaakov was able to send these angels for his benefit and he was able to use his reward for this.
According to this insight, we can answer what is the meaning of word "m ¤ki ¥p §t ¦l" before you. The posuk is teaching us “See, that I present before you today.” d ¥`x: o ¥z p i ¦k p ̈` mFI ©d "m ¤ki ¥p §t ¦l" the word "m ¤ki ¥p §t ¦l" is alluding to the preparation one does before doing a Mitzvah. For this, there is a reward d ̈k ̈x §A in this world. That is why the posuk conludes: for the preparation of a Mitzvah you will get a bracha, and be rewarded in this world.
With this approach we can understand another posuk d − ̈w ̈c §vE :Ep« ̈E ¦v x¬¤W £` «©M Epi ¥w l ¡` 'd i²¥p §t ¦l ... zF ¹U£r «©l x n §W ¦p i «¦M Ep® ̈N d¤i §d «¦Y (vf u ohrcs)
“And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments before Hashem, our God, as He has commanded us." Devarim 6:25. Here the obvious question can be asked: How is it that Hashem will give us merit by observing the Mitzvahs when the merit is only in the world to come? Yet here the Torah uses the phrase i²¥p §t ¦l “before” which alludes to the preparation before a Mitzvah, and for that we have learnt from Yaakov Aveinu that there is a merit in this world. Hence the reason “And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments”.
The Tiferes Shlomo of Rodomsk states another benefit of preparation for a Mitzvah is: Hashem bestows Divine influence and aura upon a person after performing a Mitzvah. However, one must have the utensils to receive that aura. The preparation before a Mitzvah creates that utensil. Therefore, says the Baal Shem Tov, that the preparation may be more important than the Mitzvah. Continues the Tiferes Shlomo: In order to reap the benefits of prayer, it is to prepare before davening by learning Torah, and doing Teshuva. The stronger the preparation, the bigger the utensil to store what Hashem will reward you, Spiritually and Materially.
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick based on Sefer Toras Yafah, Besermin)
