Questions for today:
Why do I do what I do? And how does the ‘why’ impact the ‘what’?
Today, during the regular calendar, is the eleventh of Nissan, the birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. A birthday is a great time to think about why we were born and what we are supposed to accomplish during our lifetime.
There is a great statement that I've heard from one of the Chabad rebbes, mostly in jest. He said that there is one part of prayer that everybody thinks about when they say: “today is ‘x’ day of the week. This is because you have to think about what day of the week it is before beginning the prayer!
We're talking about the inspiration and motivation behind performing commandments.
There is Intellectual contemplation, such as thinking about the greatness of the Creator, adding inspiration to the mitzos. Alternatively, a natural emotional bond due to an innate love of the Creator can be the inspiration within the mitzvos we are doing.
Either way, at some point while doing a mitzvah, something should propel me to think about the reason why I am doing it, and Who I am doing it for.
If I don't think at all, the mitzvah may not have any ulterior motive and I will still have fulfilled the commandment. However, there will not be any life inside of it to lift it up.
111 Tanya Nissan 11 ~ m132 Nisan 3
Tanya book 1, ch 39, Pt 5
Even if a mitzvah has no ulterior motive, it still needs some thought to connect the person to the Creator.
Without any thought, it will not have any life within it to allow it to ascend.
Study today’s Tanya in full:
https://www.chabadmed.com/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=4/4/2022
See today’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCqrTimJNk&list=PLFZQPK6u-zSBls9Hwx3P5vKIBRnjBvHe&index=111