Learning About the Details of Mitzvot

Doreet Wiesel asks:
Why do we learn all of the details of what we do in Judaism? I realize that we need to fully understand in order to fully appreciate what the mitzvot are, but the more one adds on to their common knowledge, the greater the chance of them not understanding is. If we want our mitzvot to be done to the fullest extent, then why do we make it harder to comprehend what we know and love to do?

This is a very interesting question and one about which different people might have very different perspectives. The way I understand your question is that you are suggesting that sometimes our focus on learning the details of halakhot might undermine our intuitive, natural appreciation for the meaning of the mitzvot. In other words, perhaps a strong emphasis on the letter of the law might detract from our appreciation and fulfillment of the spirit of the law. (If I’m misunderstanding your question, please let me know!)

I agree that there is a risk of losing sight of the meaning of mitzvot by becoming excessively detail-oriented in our approach to learning about them. However, I think there is a far greater risk in the other direction. If we don’t continuously learn more about mitzvot, then not only do we risk not being able to fulfill the mitzvot correctly, but we also run the risk of relating to the Torah on a simplistic level. For example, a person may have an inherent love for the mitzvah of sukkah, because it’s such an enjoyable mitzvah and one that often brings back many happy memories and associations. However, if a person’s appreciation and understanding of the mitzvah of sukkah remain at that level, then her experience of the mitzvah remains static throughout her life. By contrast, if she continues to learn more about the halakhot and symbolism of sukkah, then her knowledge and love of the mitzvah have the potential to grow throughout her life. I think that it’s important for a person’s Torah knowledge to grow with the person—as the individual grows in thoughtfulness and depth, her Torah knowledge should expand in the same way. If this doesn’t happen, there is a risk that the Torah might gradually feel less compelling and relevant to her.

I hope that this answer is meaningful to you. Please stop by if you’d like to talk about it more!