Our last piece addressed the importance of our intentions. The mishna at the beginning of Avot’s second perek relates to another aspect of our psyche—our will.
Rabban Gamliel, the son of Rebbe Yehuda Hanasi, encourages making “His will like your own so that He will make your will like His” and nullifying “your will before His so that He will nullify the will of others before yours (Avot 2:4).”
Identification
In addition to nullifying our will before Hashem’s (when necessary), we should also transform our will to match His. Instead of just submitting to Hashem’s will, we should identify with it. In addition to fulfilling mitzvot, we should want what He “wants,” value what He “values,” and even feel what He “feels.”
We learn this from Pinchas, whom Hashem described as “kano et kinati (Bamidbar 25:11).” Pinchas did more than just take action in response to sin. His reaction was more profound in that it was visceral — he empathized with Hashem’s “pain” and “jealousy.”
Rav Yechezkel Weinfeld shlit”a uses this idea to explain Rav Shimon Bar Yochai’s surprising interpretation of the pasuk (in the second parsha of K’riat Shema) that mentions working the fields (Devarim 11:14). Rav Shimon encouraged devoting all day to Torah learning and relying on Hashem to provide for us, explaining the pasuk’s mention of working the fields as referring only to a time when people are not “osin retzono shel Makom (involved in the will of God).”
Tosafot points out that the perek within which the aforementioned pasuk appears describes people fulfilling mitzvot and the reward they receive for this fulfillment. How then could this pasuk be understood as referring to people not “osin retzono shel Makom”?
Tosafot answers that although the perek relates to people who fulfill Hashem’s will, they are not entirely “osin retzono.”
What does this mean? What are they lacking?
Rav Weinfeld explains that the perek refers to people who fulfill the commandments and act in line with Hashem’s Will, but have not yet synced their will with His. They are not yet “osin retzono shel Makom.” Accordingly, Hashem rewards their incomplete avodah with an incomplete reward. He rewards them for their mitzvah fulfillment by supporting their work in the field, but they still need to work.
Form—Passionate Heart and Soul
Identification with Hashem’s will impacts both the form and scope of our avodat Hashem.
It impacts the form of our avodah by enabling us to serve Hashem with a full heart. The Ramban (Hasagot HaRamban, Sefer Hamitzvot L’Rambam, mitzvat asei 5) saw this level of avodah as the intention of the command to serve Hashem “with all your heart (Devarim 11:13).” When fulfilling mitzvot, we should focus fully on avodat Hashem and act wholeheartedly.
This wholeheartedness should express itself as passion. The Ramban (Bereishit 18:7) explains that this is why the Torah emphasizes how quickly Avraham served his guests (Bereishit 18:2-7). The Torah wants us to appreciate Avraham’s passion for chesed. He did not just do it; he ran to do it.
We see the relationship between “running” and “will” through the similarity between the Hebrew word for will — ratzon, and the abbreviated version used to describe running — ratz. We run to what we are passionate about. Rav Yehuda Ben Teima links the two in encouraging “running (ratz) like a gazelle to fulfill the will (ratzon) of your Father in Heaven (Avot 5:20).”
Scope—What Hashem Wants
Aligning our will with Hashem’s means caring about everything Hashem “wants.” We should commit ourselves to what He stated explicitly, as well as what can be inferred “between the lines.”
The Mesillat Yesharim (18) explains that we should relate to Hashem the way we relate to those we love and care deeply for. When we care about someone, we commit ourselves not only to their formal requests but also to whatever will make them happy.
Avraham’s actions at the Akeidah demonstrated this attitude. After Hashem told him to spare Yitzchak’s life, he searched for something else to sacrifice (Bereishit 22:13). Avraham could have headed home, satisfied with Hashem’s praise for his willingness to sacrifice Yitzchak. But he thought Hashem wanted him to go further and sacrifice something else. Even though he was not commanded to sacrifice, Avraham sought the opportunity. Interestingly, Hashem blessed Avraham only after he offered this voluntary sacrifice (Bereishit 22:15-18). Hashem blessed Avraham because he was not just a loyal servant but also one who loved Him.
Mordechai’s words to Esther in response to her hesitance to approach Achashverosh on behalf of the Jewish people are another example of pursuing Hashem’s unspoken will. Mordechai told Esther that interceding with Achashveirosh might be “the moment for which you became queen (Esther 4:14).” Neither Esther nor Mordechai were commanded by Hashem to take action. Like Avraham, Mordechai reflected on the circumstances and intuitedwhat Hashem wanted. The implication of this intuition was something he felt Esther was responsible to risk her life for!
The Chatam Sofer (She’eilot U’teshuvot Chatam Sofer, Chelek 1, Orach Chaim, Siman 197) used this idea to explain the surprising statement of the Gemara (Yevamot 109a) that “one who says that they have only Torah, lacks even Torah.” What besides Torah does having Torah depend upon?
The Chatam Sofer explained that the Torah mandates only the generic responsibilities all Jews have at all times. Each of us has additional responsibilities we are meant to derive from the abilities God has given us and the circumstances in which He has put us. Those committed to Hashem’s will seek to determine and commit themselves to these additional aspects of what Hashem wants from us. Only those who do this truly have Torah.
May It Be Our Will
May we successfully sync our will with Hashem’s in a way that brings us to identify with His goals and inspires us to serve Him fully and wholeheartedly!
Rabbi Reuven Taragin is the dean of overseas students at Yeshivat HaKotel.
