The Reasons Behind the Commandments, What Are They?

There are several approaches on this matter: some emphasize the practical benefits arising from observing the commandments—in organizing physical life in the most perfect manner, as well as in influencing the spirit, educating for good virtues and correct perspectives. Others see them as symbols expressing lofty and complex ideas, which, through the practice of the commandments, instill these concepts into human thought. Indeed, in this symbolic path, all commandments can be explained, even those defined as rules without known reasons. This unawareness of the reasoning for the statutes is only from a tangible benefit perspective, but from a symbolic perspective, one can find a symbolic idea embodied in each commandment. Many of the great scholars of Israel followed this path of seeking the symbolism in commandments, notably Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, of blessed memory, who succeeded in finding symbolic ideas in all the commandments of the Torah. The downside of this symbolic method is that it relies on human thought for the value of a commandment's reason. After all, a symbol that expresses an idea is merely a stimulus for thought. The benefit of the symbol is that it awakens the idea, and the idea is absorbed in human thought. However, most people are not thoughtful and do not know or pay attention to those ideas that are symbolized by their commandment actions. Similarly, the practical value of a child's action, whose mind is unable to understand conceptual reasons, is reduced to habit. Therefore, although this method is correct in its essence and there are indeed many symbolic ideas in each commandment, containing foundational perspectives in all areas of life, we must complete this method and give it an additional dimension. This is what we call the creative symbolism.

What is creative symbolism? The symbol is generally a static form, stimulating human thought and reminding it of certain concepts. However, the symbol is not alive and active. For example, the cannon depicted on a gunner's hat symbolizes his unit and reminds the viewer of the wearer's belonging to this unit. But it is not a live cannon that shoots and functions. Not so with the symbolism of the commandments. The commandments of the Torah are not only external symbolic phenomena that cause the remembrance of certain concepts in the human mind but are live actions that create and instill the concepts into the mind and heart of the person. How is this so? We already noted that most people do not know or pay attention to this thing?! However, the secret lies in the fact that this symbolism creates its creation even without the person’s knowledge and recognition. To clarify, we will use an example from the field of graphology. Graphology is the science of symbols. That is, every particular form appearing in writing symbolizes a particular trait in the human soul. The one deciphering the writing reads the symbolic language in its full range of soul traits.

How does this happen? The explanation is in the person’s subconscious, where all human traits are imprinted, and within which is embedded the tendency to express itself in any way whatsoever. One of the ways to express itself is through writing, and therefore in the various forms of writing, the subconscious expresses all its forces and traits according to the symbolism of these forms. Subsequently, the decipherer, with the rules of symbols in hand, can read this symbolic language accurately. All of this occurs without the participation of consciousness and intelligence. The person does not know and recognize intellectually the reason for his writing at all. The intellect does not mediate at all between the hidden traits and concepts and their expression in writing. There exists a direct course between the inner traits and the external expression in writing, without the involvement of the intellect and consciousness. Recently, several graphologists arose and asked themselves: if indeed the subconscious creates and expresses its traits in writing forms, might there not also be a reverse process? That is, the influence of writing forms on human traits. The question arose following issues with troubled children sent for graphological consultation, whose handwriting confirmed and revealed their negative aspects. The idea then arose to present these children with a writing model whose forms symbolize all the positive traits lacking in those children, with the intention of instilling these positive traits through prolonged writing exercises and thereby improving their behavior. The experiment was successful, and since then a new branch emerged within graphology called graphotherapy, meaning therapy through writing. We learn that just as the subconscious creates forms and signs with meaning, without the involvement of consciousness at all, so too the expression of forms and signs with meaning creates and instills that meaning into the subconscious, without the involvement of consciousness.

And from here—a gateway through which we can approach understanding the reasons for the commandments: We have learned that the subconscious is influenced by the expressions of forms and signs with meaning, and that the latent meaning in these external symbols penetrates and creates a person's character. Therefore, when a person fulfills a commandment symbolizing ideas and concepts, traits and perspectives, even if his intellect and awareness do not recognize and know them, nonetheless, they are well understood by the person’s subconscious. All these penetrate within and create the person's character, traits, and foundational perspectives, within the depths of his subconscious. Later on, this manifests in a spiritual-religious expression, a practical-conscious expression, in the person’s educational life, as is the way of the subconscious to express and reveal itself. Hence we understand the tremendous wealth hidden in the 613 commandments and their clauses. All of them, even those not comprehensible to our intellect and consciousness, contain vast volumes of creative symbols across all life aspects, spiritual and physical, private and public. Each commandment conceals a wealth of diverse influences and symbols, only part of which have been revealed by the sages of generations, while a substantial portion remains hidden in the arcana of Torah secrets. However, those who observe them with belief and the right spirit to fulfill their Creator's commandments, even if they do not know the various symbols' meanings, the act of the commandments itself exerts its influence, and the person progresses and becomes enriched in all aspects, physical and spiritual, temporary and eternal.

Even a small child who observes the commandments, the commandment exerts its influence within him, imprinting its effects. This is the foundation for observing commandments by a child for educational purposes. As known, through hypnosis, a person can be regressed to a very tender childhood age, where he would describe in detail what he saw and heard at that age, things that his consciousness at that age was incapable of grasping and knowing, but his subconscious absorbed and was impressed even at the youngest age. Similarly, with the adherence to commandments by a child—even though from his awareness and intellect he has no understanding or knowledge of the act being done, his subconscious is well impressed and influenced. This explains the Talmud's account of Rabbi Nachman, whose mother was told by star gazers in Babylon that, according to the stars, her newborn son would become a thief. When she recounted this at the scholars’ study hall, they advised her to place a yarmulke on his head immediately upon birth and never let it be removed, thus thwarting the harsh prediction. The basis of this advice is that covering the head brings about the fear of Heaven. But the question arises: what does the infant understand about having a kippah on his head?! However, as we have noted, since covering the head symbolizes the fear of Heaven, merely covering the head can create the fear of Heaven, even without knowledge and awareness of the matter.

The subconscious absorbs the impression of the action, and the symbolism penetrates and creates a trait of fear of Heaven. Likewise, our Sages explained the purpose of the tzitzit: the blue (in the tzitzit) resembles the sea, the sea resembles the sky, and the sky resembles the Throne of Glory (the divine world). Although a person may not mentally trace these imagery chains, they occur of themselves in a hidden process unknown to us. And since the commandments of the Torah are divine creations, they contain an infinite treasure of diverse influences, most of which are still hidden from us. The Giver of the Torah is the Creator of man with all his features and needs, and He has bequeathed His commandments to us in accordance with what is necessary for our benefit and happiness. We need only adhere to the commandments with belief and practical precision, fulfilling them with joy and enthusiasm, as in the verse "I rejoice at Your word, as one who finds great spoil," for indeed there is a great spoil within them: all the possible successes ordained for mankind. We must be fully confident that this observance of the Torah's commandment system is the great success and happiness of the individual and the community. It is the mighty instrument, the enormous educational means, kindly given by the Creator to humankind, intended to bring them to their happiness and glorious life.