G‑d then instructed Moses regarding the laws governing forbidden relations. G‑d prefaced these laws by stating that their purpose is to enhance the Jewish people’s lives and to refine them so they can be admitted into the afterlife.
Bringing Life to the Commandments
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם וגו': (ויקרא יח:ה)
You must safeguard My rules and My ordinances, which a person must do to live by them. Leviticus 18:5

The Hebrew phrase “to live by them” can also be read, “in order to imbue them with life-force.” This teaches us that not only do G‑d’s commandments enhance our lives; by observing them, we bring them to life. For example, even the most carefully crafted tefilin cannot accomplish their purpose – thereby effecting a positive change in reality – until a Jewish man wears them.

Thus, we bring G‑d’s plan for creation to fruition through fulfilling His commandments. Of course, in order to “enliven” G‑d’s commandments, we ourselves must be “alive,” i.e., healthy, strong, happy, enthusiastic, and optimistic.1