דַבֵּר אֶל־בְנֵּי יִשְ רָאֵּל וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְרוּמָה מֵּאֵּת כָל־אִיש אֲשֶר יִדְבֶנוּ לִבוֹ תִקְחוּ אֶת־תְרוּמָתִי :בשמות כה,
The Zohar haKodesh brings that a person strives to spend money to acquire a mitzvah one draws upon oneself a holy spirit. However, the opposite is also true, when one acquires a mitzvah for nothing one draws upon oneself a spirit of tumah. The Pasuk states וְיִקְחוּ־לִי that one needs to acquire Mitzvos with money.
Sefer Charedim brings this Zohar as the 17th condition to fulfill Mitzvos: “Do not do a mitzvah for nothing; rather acquire it with a full and complete payment of its value. Also do not be miserly at all.”
Rabbi Chaim Vital writes in regard to purchasing mitzvah items such as Lulav, Esrog or similar items, one should give the full amount at the first suggested price from the seller, and do not haggle about the price. At times he relates that he would put his wallet full of cash in front of the seller and tell the seller to take what he wishes.
Teshuvah MeAhavah recounts that his rabbi, the Nodeh beYehuda, would always seek the best esrogim without any concern for the cost.
Sefer haBris advises that a person should give the first amount requested from the seller of a mitzvah item, without discussion as does most buyers and sellers. A person should not even say that the item appears to be overpriced so that it would not appear that the “word of HaShem is spoiled.”
Chaye Adam also writes that one should pay full price as Dovid states (II Shmuel 24,24) that he would pay the price and not offer to HaShem korbanos if he purchased the site for the Bais HaMikdash for nothing.
Rabbi Tzadok from Lublin not only taught that one should strive to pay full price for positive Mitzvos but also to pay “full price” to avoid negative Mitzvos. HaShem does not desire monetary gifts, but seeks for a person to overpower their natural (animal) desires. In fact the Mishkan is built from we offer by overcoming our desires with love so that HaShem will dwell here in this world.
Sh’T Torah Lishmah learns even more from the Zohar. If one has already purchased a kosher esrog prior to Yom Tov and afterwards someone gives him a gift of an esrog. One should use the purchased esrog for the mitzvah on Yom Tov even if the gifted-esrog is better quality, since it is preferable to use a purchased item for the mitzvah. This rule is for the owner himself. He does say that if someone without an esrog that wishes to borrow one of his esrogim on the condition to be returned, should be given the better quality esrog.
Further, he rules that it is preferable to make a blessing of שהחיינו on a purchased fruit rather than on a donated fruit. This blessing is one of praise and thanks to HaShem and preferable to make the blessing on fruit that one acquired by his own money. Thus, if one is a guest at another’s table and fruit is brought out that one is required to make this blessing, one should purchase the piece of fruit from the host to fulfill the mitzvah in its fullest intent.
He finishes and states that he just opened the subject and sighted a few examples and one should learn to apply to many matters of Mitzvos.
