"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 Ÿ 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 Ÿ 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 is teaching 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 Ÿ p i ¦k Ÿ 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 Ÿ l ¡` 'd i²¥p §t ¦l ... zF ¹U£r«©l x Ÿ ̧n §W ¦pÎi «¦M Ep® ̈NÎd ¤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." Devorim 6:25. 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”. This can be applied to the Posuk in the previous Parsha m¬¤Y§x ©n §WE d ¤N ½¥` ̈d Æmi ¦h ̈R §W ¦O ©d z³¥` oE Àr §n §W ¦Y a ¤w ́¥r d ́ ̈i ̈d §e r−©A §W ¦p x¬¤W £` c ¤q ½¤g ©dÎz ¤` §e Æzi¦x §A ©dÎz ¤` ÀL §l ÆLi ¤w Ÿ l ¡` 'd Áx ©n ̈W §e m® ̈z Ÿ ` m−¤zi ¦U£r«©e :Li «¤z Ÿ a £`«©l(ch :z) And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep them and perform them, that Hashem, your G-d, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers. (7:12) What is the meaning of ¼m ¤zi ¦U£r«©e »m ¤Y§x ©n §WE keeping and doing the Mitzvos, in essence it is one thing, then why not just state ¼m ¤zi ¦U£r«©e do the Mitzvos?
The Ramchal says: One of the means which lead a person to acquire this trait is to prepare oneself for Divine service and mitzvot, namely, to not enter suddenly in performing a mitzvah. For then, one's mind is not yet composed and is unable to think on what he is doing. Rather, one should ready himself to the matter and slowly prepare his heart for reflection. The Ramchal continues “irahd zelkql mxeb dpkdd herine” Insufficient preparation for Divine service causes the natural foolishness. With this we see powerful benefit we derive that the proper way for the Mitzvah being done properly, is based on the preparation to the mitzvah..
The Ohr Hachaim offers a beautiful insight: To be a Shomer Shabbos means to wait and anticipate when it will arrive, like one awaits an important guest. He learns this from Yaakov who rebuked Yosef outwardly for revealing the dreams to his brothers but the verse records that he privately kept the matter, x ̈a ̈c ©d z` xny eia`e and Rashi explains x ©n ̈y that he waited with great anticipation when it will be realized. From there we learn the definition of keeping the Shabbos! Shabbos Kodesh requires Hachana / preparation as the Torah states in Shemos 16:5 E`i ¦a ̈i x ¤y £` z ¥` Epi ¦k ¥d §e i ¦y ¦y ©d m Ÿ eI ©a d ̈i ̈d §e it will be on the sixth day and they will prepare that which they will bring .This is what the posuk is saying »m ¤Y§x ©n §WE And you shall keep, this is the preparation to a Mitzvah, afterwards ¼m ¤zi ¦U£r«©e do them, and for preparation to a Mitzvah, there is merit in this world. This is what the torah concludes the great reward:
:L À¤x ̈d §v ¦i §e ́L §Wxi «¦z §e ¹L §p ̧ ̈b§C L¤z ̈n§c © Â`Îi «¦x §tE ́L §p §h ¦a i «¦x §R K ́©x ¥aE
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
