One must admit that being shomer Torah and Mitzvos, delving into the profundities of Torah and observing its mitzvos, is not easy. It takes a lot of dedication, consistency, and hard work. One motivation to keep going, and never give up, is the last mishna in Pirkei Avos: “לפום צערא אגרא”, according to ones efforts will be their reward.
We find another motivation in the final parsha of the entire Torah, Vezos Habracha, that we read on Simchas Torah. In Moshe’s final address to the Jewish People, “He said: Hashem came from Sinai, having shown forth to them from Seir, having appeared from Mount Paran, and then approached with some of the holy myriad, from His right hand He presented the fiery Torah to them” (33:2). The end of this pasuk in Hebrew is ” אש דת למו.” The Sifri comments on these words, “אלמלא דת נתנה עמה אין אדם יכול לעמוד (לעמול) בה.”
The Raavad brings down two versions of what this statement means and, depending on the version, is whether the word in the parenthesis is used in place of the word before it. The Raavad’s first understanding is that “דת” means “דעת,” a mind; that Hashem puts into the minds of people who are involved in learning, intelligence, and knowledge in order that they can understand contradictions. Meaning “אלמלא”, if not for the fact… that Hashem gave people a mind [they would not be able to comprehend His Torah and mitzvos.]
The other version suggests that דת is the same as the pasuk in Esther 1:13 “דת ודין,” meaning law and judgment. What it means by “אלמלא…”, is that Hashem did a kindness for us, that He didn’t give [the mitzvos] as a law [i.e. commandments], for if He would have given the mitzvos to us as a law, then a person would immediately be punished and he would not be able to get involved and toil [in learning]. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Raavad is showing us two more motivations, to not give up on being shomer Torah and Mitzvos. First is that Hashem gifted us with a mind to understand the laws and depths of Torah; not only that but He helps those who want to learn Torah and understand it by putting intelligence and knowledge into our brains to help us think. So don’t give up! Secondly, Hashem, out of His infinite kindness, did not create the Torah as a lawbook for if transgressed deserves immediate execution for rebelling against the king. Hashem, all knowing, immediately sees if it’s transgressed by an individual. He doesn’t need a court case to deliberate whether the law was broken or not, or how severe it was; and therefore if the Torah would be law then a transgressor would deserve immediate punishment. However, the Torah, which is the blueprints of creation, is in fact the handbook or guide for mankind, and what’s perceived to be and called reward and punishment is in fact consequence, measure for measure, of our action, speech, and thought. Therefore it’s worth being shomer Torah and mitzvos, because why wouldn’t you want to follow the Infinitely Benevolent Hashem’s will, who just wants the best for you, and is not out to just enforce the law!
What doesn’t make sense is that it sounds like from the Raavad that if the Torah was strictly a lawbook, and transgressing it would be immediately punished, then they wouldn’t learn it. Shouldn’t it logically be the opposite? If a person knows that breaking the law is immediately punishable, then wouldn’t they be very meticulous and diligent in their learning to ensure properly application of the law in order to not get punished?
It would seem to be human nature that one might get overwhelmed and give up in a situation like this. They might give into the pressure instead of being extra vigilant to do the right thing and live. Therefore, out of Hashem’s love and ultimate kindness, He didn’t create laws that would mean that if transgressed they would deserve immediate punishment for rebelling against the King Of All Kings. Rather, He created a guidebook with consequences, both good and bad, so that people would be interested and driven to learn about how to do the right thing and live a qualitatively well-to-do life.