מִצְוָה לְשׁוֹן צַוְתָּא וְחִבּוּר, וְהָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה מִתְחַבֵּר עִם הָעַצְמוּת בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא הַמְצַוֶּה אֶת הַצִּוּוּי הַהוּא. וְזֶהוּ שְׂכַר מִצְוָה מִצְוָה, דְּזֶה מַה שֶׁנִּתְחַבֵּר עִם עַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף מְצַוֶּה הַצִּוּוּי, זֶהוּ שְׂכָרוֹ. וְיוּבָן בְּמָשָׁל גַּשְׁמִי: אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט בְּיוֹתֵר יֵשׁ לוֹ בִּטּוּל פְּנִימִי אֶל הַחָכְמָה וּמַעֲלַת חָכָם, בְּבִטּוּל דְּהֶעְדֵּר תְּפִיסַת מָקוֹם לְגַמְרֵי. וְכֵן גַם בְּהֶרְגֵּשׁ הַחָכָם הֲרֵי אִישׁ הַפָּשׁוּט אֵינוֹ נִכְנָס אֶצְלוֹ בְּגֶדֶר אֱנוֹשִׁי כְּלָל — וְאֵין זֶה דִּמְבַטְּלוֹ וְדוֹחֶה אוֹתוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, דְּזֶהוּ מִדָּה רָעָה — וְנֶחְשָׁב בְּעֵינָיו שֶׁאֵין לוֹ קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל יַחַס עִמּוֹ כְּלָל. וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר הֶחָכָם יְצַוֶּה לָאִישׁ הַפָּשׁוּט לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵיזֶה דָּבָר בִּשְׁבִילוֹ, הִנֵּה בְּצִּוּוּי זֶה נוֹלָד מְצִיאוּתוֹ שֶׁל הָאִישׁ הַפָּשׁוּט, הֵן לְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁמַּרְגִּישׁ מְצִיאוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הוּא יָכוֹל לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת הֶחָכָם וְלוֹ צִיוָּה הֶחָכָם לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר, וְהֵן בְּעֵינֵי הֶחָכָם נֶחְשָׁב לִמְצִיאוּת אֲשֶׁר אֵלָיו יְדַבֵּר וִיצַוֶּה, וּלְבַד זֹאת הֲרֵי צִוּוּי זֶה מְאַחֵד הֶחָכָם הָרָם וְנַעֲלֶה עִם הָאִישׁ הַפָּשׁוּט בְּיוֹתֵר. וְהַנִּמְשָׁל מוּבָן.

וּמוּבָן גַם כֵּן אֲשֶׁר בְּיַחַס לְהַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל אֵין הֶבְדֵּל כְּלַל בַּמֶּה יִהְיֶה הַצִּוּוּי, אִם דָּבָר גָּדוֹל וְנַעֲלֶה אוֹ קָטָן וּפָּשׁוּט.

The word mitzvah is related to the word tzavsa, meaning “connection.”1 A person who performs a mitzvah forges a connection with the Essence of G‑d — with the One Who gives that command.

This is the meaning of the teaching of the Sages that2 “the reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah.” The reward for a mitzvah is the connection it makes with G‑d’s Essence.

By way of analogy: A simple person feels innately humble, utterly insignificant, before the wisdom and greatness of a sage. Similarly, from the sage’s perspective, he hardly considers the simple person a human being. Not that he belittles him or rejects him, Heaven forbid — that would be an undesirable quality; rather, it appears to him that he has no connection or relationship with him at all.3

However, when the sage tells the simple person to do something for him, that command establishes the identity of the simple person. First of all, it makes him feel significant, for he can fulfill the sage’s command, and he was the one whom the sage commanded to do something. Likewise, he becomes significant in the eyes of the sage, who speaks to him and gives him the command. Moreover, the command unites the prominent and lofty sage with this simplest of people. The analog [with regard to the performance of a mitzvah] is self-explanatory.

Moreover, it is obviously immaterial whether the command is for a great and lofty matter or a small and simple one.4

Probing Beneath the Surface

A classic theme in Chassidus is the contrast between the Divine service of the Patriarchs, who lived before the Giving of the Torah, and our own Divine service, in the era since the Giving of the Torah. The Midrash states5 that before the Torah was given, a supernal decree separated the spiritual and material realms. Like the formidable distance between the simple person and the sage, there was a seemingly unbridgeable chasm between a finite mortal and the infinite G‑d — until the Giving of the Torah built a bridge.

Concerning this gap and this bridge, the Alter Rebbe first quotes the Zohar,6 “No thought can grasp [Him] at all,” and then adds, “nor His Will and wisdom — except insofar as they are garbed in the laws set out before us.”7 By studying G‑d’s Torah and performing His mitzvos, we can think His thoughts, speak His words, and perform His actions.