The Maharal explains why the mitzvah of Anochi is not formulated with is not introduced by a Lashon Tzivui by an imperative. Why doesn't it say De'u? Why doesn't it say Ta'aminu? So the Maharal explains that the mitzvah of Anochi differs from other mitzvos, most other mitzvos in the following sense: the mitzvah of Tefillin, וקשרתם אותם על ידך. A person has Bechira whether to be mekayem the mitzvah. If, Rachmana Litzlan, he opts not to be mekayem the mitzvah, so then the Tefillin are taki not on his arm, and the Tefillin are taki not bein einav. If a person, Rachmana Litzlan, makes the wrong choice, he doesn't bentch after eating, so Birkat Hamazon taki wasn't recited. The mitzvah is a mitzvah, that's what it is. Anochi is not only a mitzvah, Anochi is a reality. The Torah intentionally doesn't introduce the mitzvah of Anochi with an imperative to impress that upon us. This is the ultimate reality, the only reality, whether a person complies with the mitzvah or Rachmana Litzlan doesn't. Anochi is the ultimate, ultimately the only reality. The mitzvah and reality of Anochi, therefore, it determines, it shapes and contextualizes everything a person does. It's a lens through which everything is viewed and assessed. A mitzvah is only a mitzvah because Hashem commanded it. That's the thrust of the Ramban's Mechilta that he quotes in the Peirush HaTorah, he quotes it in Sefer Hamitzvos as well. משל למלך שנכנס למדינה אמרו לו עבדיו גזור עלינו גזירות אמר להם לאו כשתקבלו מלכותי אגזור עליכם גזירות שאם מלכותי אינכם מקבלים גזירותי היאך אתם מקיימים כך אמר המקום לישראל אנכי ה' אלהיך לא יהיה לך אני הוא שקבלתם מלכותי עליכם במצרים אמרו לו הן כשקבלתם מלכותי קבלו גזירותי כלומר אחר שאתם מקבלים עליכם ומודים שאני ה' קבלו כל מצותי.
The Chofetz Chaim sensitizes us to the fact that sometimes in מצוות בין אדם לחברו one can easily lose sight of that fundamental fact and perspective. Davka because part of the mitzvah is that a person is supposed to cultivate, as the Rambam explains, he's supposed to cultivate a personality of אף אתה תהא רחום ואף אתה תהא חנון. A person is not supposed to be forcing himself to engage in Chesed. A person is supposed to cultivate a personality whereby that's the natural reaction. But that's not supposed to at all detract from the reality that that Gufa is rooted in the Anochi Hashem Elokecha, in the Tzivui. The personality of Chesed from which the Ma'aseh chesed should flow naturally is Gufa because Hashem says that that's what's right, not just because or not at all because it feels good, because it comes naturally. Chofetz Chaim says we should try to be cognizant of the element of Tzivui in מצוות בין אדם למקום so we are much more cognizant of that. Before before Hanachas Tefillin so so we're cognizant of the element of Tzivui. But it's it's it's very very important to have that same perspective on on the מצוות בין אדם לחבירו. All Mitzvos are Mitzvos because Hakadosh Baruch Hu commands them. Any and all correct moral intuitions we have are valid because Hakadosh Baruch Hu endowed us with them. And all branches of Chochma ultimately are only classified as such because they lead to Yedias Hashem. That's what the Rambam writes that יסוד היסודות ועמוד החכמות לידע שיש שם מצוי ראשון. That reality of Anochi Hashem Elokecha is the Amud Hachochmos. There ultimately is no Chochma if it doesn't lead to to Hakaras Hashem to Yedias Hashem. And how could it be otherwise? Given the reality of Ein Od Milvado, how could it be otherwise? Of course it has to be that the Mitzva and reality of Anochi Hashem Elokecha dictates and shapes and contextualizes everything we do and that it's the lens through which everything is to be viewed and assessed. To take a case in point, to return to something we were talking about last week. There are positions in Torah society which could in the abstract, in a vacuum, be construed as positions of power and and the person could view those who occupy such positions, who are eligible to occupy such positions, as being empowered and others as being excluded. But משל למה הדבר דומה, what would one's reaction be to a parent, be it a father, be it a mother, who viewed parenthood as an opportunity to wield and exercise power over dependent vulnerable children? The mere thought of a parent seeing himself or herself in that light is repulsive. Parenthood means the blessing and responsibility of nurturing a Neshama to its to maximize its capacity. It's blessing and responsibility. And if Rachmana Litzlan a parent were were to to view it as The position of authority, my home is my castle, we would be deeply deeply troubled by such a such a perspective, such an outlook on on on life. If a person lives with with the reality, the mitzvah and the reality of Anochi Hashem Elokecha which we're called upon to do 24/7, there's no such thing as power. There's no such thing as being empowered. There's no such thing as as as positions of power. There's no such thing as being a powerful person. There's responsibility, there's blessing, there's no such thing as power. The mitzvah and reality of Anochi Hashem Elokecha are the Torah helps us, it reinforces with with the mitzvah of Yiras Hashem. The Rambam as as you know in Sefer HaMitzvos defines Yiras Hashem in terms of Yiras HaOnesh, לירא ביאת עונשו בכל עת. So what kind of power does a person have, what kind of illusion or or delusion of of power can a person have if if he lives with the reality that if Rachmana litzlan I don't carry out my responsibility the way I'm supposed to, if Rachmana litzlan I I betray the trust which was placed in me, so עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון. In in in a world where the Ribbono Shel Olam is front and center, in a world of ein od milvado, there's no power. There's there's blessing, there's responsibility, there's assignments, there's achrayus. There's there's no such thing as as power. The the category, the concept doesn't exist. When when when we don't view, when we don't experience Halacha in the context of Anochi Hashem Elokecha, obviously it can't be understood, it can't be appreciated. To serve as a shliach tzibbur is not is not an opportunity to to shine, it's not an opportunity to be in the in the spotlight. It's an achrayus. It's an achrayus. Secular society, it's been building and escalating since the Enlightenment, is very egocentric and very arrogant. When a person is egocentric and arrogant, even if there is some superficial acknowledgment of someone above him, it's not a reality in terms of how he experiences the world. So if there's no one above me, then the positions of power in life. But if there's a Ribono shel Olam, Anochi Hashem Elokecha, that ein od milvado, if there is a Ribono shel Olam, דע לפני מי אתה עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון, if that's a reality, there's no power. Aderaba, the sense of achrayus, of responsibility, is magnified. The combination of experiencing shiflus ha'adam with the ultimate absolute value of devar Hashem just infuses achrayus and responsibility. The antidote to the confusion which is sowed by modern culture is to have an awareness of the ultimate reality of Anochi, to try to reinforce that awareness with the mitzvah of את ה' אלהיך תירא, and to be able to therefore have the clarity of vision which those mitzvos, which those realities provide, and which only those mitzvos and which only those realities can provide.