Rabbi Yonason SacksThe Mitzvah of Terumah: Compulsion and Benevolence

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The Steipler Gaon (Birchas Peretz, Vayikra) notes that some mitzvos are voluntary, rather than obligatory, based on the generosity of spirit of the giver. Among these are the voluntary sacrifices and the donations for the Mishkan, which have no prescribed amounts, or shiurim, even for those who choose to do them, and the mitzvah of nazir. There are also obligatory mitzvos without shiurim, such as peah, bikkurim, re'aiyon and gemilus chasadim. Here too, the shiurim are left up to the generosity of the giver. In this way, they are similar to terumah, where Biblically, chitah achas poteres es ha'kri - a single grain redeems the entire heap of produce. However, asks the Steipler, if these mitzvos are necessary for the proper service of Hashem, why were they or their shiurim not made obligatory after all? And if they are not necessary, why were they given at all?

The Steipler suggests that voluntary service for the sake of Heaven is a critical element in the acquisition of ahavas Hashem, love of God, in which we are all commanded. If commanded, it must be within our grasp, yet how exactly can we be obligated in matters of the heart? What should one of a more phlegmatic nature do, who is not able to rouse his heart to burn with the love of God? Mitzvos of the heart are simply not as accessible, nor as readily discharged, as external, active mitzvos.

The Rambam addresses this question in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah (chapter 2), writing that one arrives at ahavas Hashem through contemplating His incomparable greatness. The Chovos HaLevavos writes that one must reflect on Hashem's goodness, on all the kindnesses He performs for us. Yet, for one whose heart is too dull to be roused by these means, the question remains: How can he too achieve the mitzvah of loving God with all his heart and soul and means?

The Steipler answers by way of a concept developed in Chapter 7 of the Mesilas Yesharim: just as the effects of one's inner flame extend outward, rousing one to zeal in one's actions, the effects of one's zealous actions can penetrate inward, rousing even a dull heart to fervor. This phenomenon is at work, too, with the love of God - just as inner love leads to voluntary service, where one foregoes his will in favor of the will of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, so too, voluntary, selfless acts in service of the Divine rouse one's heart to love and be bound up with Hashem. The more one invests in this voluntary outer service, the more one stokes the fire of his inner of love of Hashem. As this is a tried and tested method, it emerges that one is always capable of ultimately fulfilling the mitzvos of the heart by engaging wholeheartedly in the voluntary mitzvos. And, in contradistinction to obligatory mitzvos, which all too often are performed in the manner of one paying off a debt, it is quite possible that the fact that these voluntary mitzvos are so superbly suited to rouse one's love of Hashem is their very raison d'etre.

In this way, suggests the Steipler, converts and ba'alei teshuvah have an advantage over other Jews. Having come to mitzvos initially through a free-willed acceptance, they often continue to see themselves in the same light even after accepting the yoke of mitzvos, and this free-willed acceptance and devotion continually feed the fires of their love and attachment to Hashem, which in turn may lead to greater care in the performance of all mitzvos (see Tosafos, Meseches Kidushin 70b, s.v. kashim geirim).

The Rokeach famously stated that piety never matches its initial levels. This is apparently for the reasons discussed above, namely that piety's inception is accompanied by one's choice to become closer to Hashem, which engenders enormous heartfelt devotion. With the passage of time, however, rote performance - and even additional levels of service, beyond the letter of the law - inevitably come to feel obligatory, dulling one's initial inspiration.

It is in this vein that the Torah commands us to freely give to the full measure of our hearts' devotion.