הלכה על אבות 5:19

Rav J. David Bleich (Tradition Summer 1999 - vol. 33 no. 4: 56-60), in turn, explains the argument of the Imrei Yosher. Rav Bleich notes that if one experienced pain in the process of a performing a mitzvah, such as obtaining an etrog that was ensconced in thorns, he would not receive any additional reward for the pain he endured in order to obtain the etrog¹³³Avi Levinson asks why does he not receive extra reward due to the Mishnah’s teaching “The reward is in accordance with the pain one endures” (Avot 5:19). One may respond that the Rambam mentions this rule only once in his entire Mishnah Torah, in the context of the mitzvah of Torah study (Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:6). I heard reported in the name of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik that we may infer from the Rambam that this rule applies only to the mitzvah of Talmud Torah. Indeed, the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot is addressing the mitzvah of Talmud Torah. However, the fact that the Rambam does not present this rule in the context of brit milah might serve as evidence that the Midrash cited by Rav Arik does not reflect normative Halachah. . Why, then, does the Midrash state that Avraham received reward for the pain he endured during brit milah? Rav Arik's answer is that experiencing pain is not an aspect of the mitzvah of taking an rtrog, but it does constitute an aspect of the mitzvah of brit milah.