בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי רָץ לְמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, וּבוֹרֵחַ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה. שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה, וַעֲבֵרָה גוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה. שֶׁשְּׂכַר מִצְוָה, מִצְוָה. וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה, עֲבֵרָה:
Ben Azzai says: Run to a "light" mitzvah as to a "heavy one," and flee sin. For a mitzvah begets a mitzvah and a sin begets a sin. [This is "the way of the world." If a man does one mitzvah, it is easier for him to do others and if one begins sinning, it is difficult for him to stop. And, what is more,] the reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the "reward" for a sin is a sin. [For Heaven assists, and places in the hand of one who has done a mitzvah the wherewithal to do another, in order to reward him for both; and thus with the "reward" for a sin. Or: All that one earns or enjoys in the doing of a mitzvah is reckoned to him as a mitzvah itself, and he receives reward both for the mitzvah and for the pleasure and the benefit that he derived therefrom; and the "reward" and the enjoyment that one derives from sinning is reckoned to him as a sin itself, and he is smitten both for the sin and for the reward and the pleasure that he derived from it.]
Sefat Emet
In the verse, 'Like the practice of the land of Egypt' etc., 'my judgements' etc., 'to follow/walk in them'. Rashi explains 'you are not permitted to be exempt' from them. As it's written 'like' the practice, not actually 'the practice' of the land of Egypt. Because the Bnei Yisroel were already a holy congregation and what is the relevance to warn them from acting like these sinners? But the explanation (comes to teach us) that there should not be any act of a Jew that is like/similar to the acts of the wicked that all their acts are for worldliness alone. Rather the Bnei Yisroel need to sanctify all their actions to cleave to the source of the life-force and to take from it life-force. Because the action needs to be only for the purpose that man 'walks' in the service of HaShem (may He be blessed) and simple Jews are directed to eat and drink to add strength in their service of the Creator which is also a general (form of) 'walking'. And what also of the righteous that all their actions are for the sake of Heaven, and so too with every commandment that a person does, it needs to be directed (one should perform it with the intent) that through this (the performance of the commandment) he will come to greater holiness that he could add at all times from one (spiritual) level to the next (spiritual) level. Like (the concept that fulfilment of a) 'commandment brings another commandment'. And it won't be that the commandment was done simply to be discharged from the obligation, rather on the contrary, that through the merit of this, one will receive (the opportunity for) other commandments, as it's written, that the reward for (fulfilling a) commandment is (the opportunity to fulfil another) commandment. And this is what it means 'to follow/walk in them' etc., and to take from them life-force as it's written 'and live (by) them' (or possibly, and life is within them).
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