Faith
From Belief to Action: Why Following God’s Commandments Comes Before Full Understanding
Learn how the principle of “we will do, and we will hear” shows that trust in God’s wisdom is the foundation for action, even before we comprehend every commandment
(Photo: shutterstock)When looking closely at creation and its complexity, it becomes clear that something so intricate could not have come into existence by random chance. And yet, even when we know intellectually what’s true, it can be difficult to apply that knowledge into the practical realm. Making real changes in our lives can be more challenging than being open to hearing ideas that contradict our current lifestyle, or admitting that we may have been mistaken in our path.
The first excuse we often give ourselves to quiet our conscience about not making changes yet is: “Maybe faith itself is what God values most, and our day-to-day actions or keeping the commandments are less important to Him.”
That excuse usually doesn’t hold up for long. If, in His divine Torah, God explicitly commands us to do certain things or avoid certain things, it’s clear that this is His will. The Torah states this repeatedly:
“You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do and live by them; I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:5).
“You shall keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:37).
“See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God and turn aside from the way which I command you today…” (Deuteronomy 11:26–28).
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you… but to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, which I command you today — for your good” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13).
“Observe and obey all these words that I command you, so that it will be good for you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 12:28).
From there, we often move to the next excuse: “Right now, I just don’t feel connected to the commandments, and I don’t really understand them. It’s hard to do something you don’t feel drawn to. Maybe in the future, when I truly want to do it and understand the logic behind it, then I’ll do it.”
Do we need to fully understand the logic and deeper reasoning behind every commandment before we fulfill it? Does our observance depend on our personal evaluation and agreement that it’s right and justified?
There are many things we do, sometimes even matters of life and death, without personally checking every detail, simply because we trust the authority behind them.
For example:
When the traffic light turns green, we drive into the intersection. Do we actually check that the cross-traffic light is red? No, because we trust that the traffic light system is programmed correctly.
When a doctor prescribes us medication, do we study its chemical composition and research exactly how each ingredient works in our body? No, because we trust the doctor’s knowledge and the pharmaceutical company’s accuracy.
When we trust someone completely, we don’t need to verify every claim ourselves. In religious observance, we’re not referring to a human doctor or a man-made traffic light system, but the Creator of the universe. If we know the Torah comes from Him, and His will is for us to keep it, that should be enough to know it’s the most right, just, and good thing for us.
This is exactly what the Israelites said after receiving the Torah: “We will do, and we will hear” (na’aseh v’nishma). Logically, one might expect the order to be reversed, that first “we will hear” (understand the meaning of the commandments), and then “we will do” (observe them). However, they said it in the opposite order because if the commandments are the will of the Creator, then they are automatically right and binding, and there is no reason to delay in keeping them.
The learning and understanding would come afterward, during the process of fulfilling them. The study would deepen their appreciation, but it would not delay their action, because they already knew these were the binding instructions of the One who created us, loves us, and wants only what is best for us.
