By: Rabbi Dovid Markel
Essentially, every single mitzvah brings about this synthesis. This is because, on the one hand, mitzvos are physical acts, but on the other hand, we bring about spirituality into the world through them. Our objective in doing the mitzvos is not to escape the world, but to permeate it with G-dly illumination and awareness. Hence, it is specifically through our performance of the mitzvos that we bring about the perfection of the world and ultimately, the coming of Moshiach.
This is because every mitzvah we do brings about a homogenous relationship between the physical and the spiritual. This results from the fact that, as said above, every[1] mitzvah is comprised of two components—the physical and the spiritual—as one.
In integrating the Aleph into our lives, we focus on two things: a) using the physical world and b) infusing it with a deeper, spiritual awareness. This “switches on” the light at the essential core of everything.
There is no better way of accomplishing this than by doing as many mitzvos as possible and learning Torah, thus instilling a deeper and deeper understanding of Torah values in ourselves and our surroundings[2]. When we learn Torah deeply our whole mindset is transformed and we view the world from a new vantage point of goodness and holiness. In this way, the world becomes permeated with spirituality.
But Will it Become Boring?
Imagine a world with no selfishness, strife, jealousies, war, hunger or disease; a world in which these and all other maladies, both physical and spiritual, will have been resolved. What does one do in such a world? What will be our preoccupation?
It really is difficult to conceive of it, because in the world as it is today, even the good things we do which are positive and praiseworthy; are done in reaction to something negative. They are all driven by need. Through medical research we eliminate illness, by feeding the needy we eliminate hunger, by teaching we eliminate ignorance etc.
However, imagine a world in which we are not driven by the negative in order to do the positive, a world in which the goodness in and of itself is motivation enough, a world in which we are not stimulated from without but from within[3]. This is what we will do when Moshiach comes.
Goodness does not just have to be an answer to “badness.” Goodness has an intrinsic value of its own, independent of badness. Imagine if all people had an intrinsic drive to do good; to invent, discover, grow, for goodness itself? Imagine the level humanity would achieve with that kind of drive!
It really would be quite awesome, so much so, that it is difficult to imagine. This is the ultimate result of the geulah – redemption; doing good for its own sake; doing good with G-dly awareness.
[1] Even mitzvos that are dependent on the heart. The mitzvah is to bring the physical heart to actually feel the love.
[2] See the Sefer HaSichos, 9 Kislev, 5752, where the Lubavitcher Rebbe declares that everything is ready for Moshiach and all we need to do is to go out of our personal exile and “open our eyes.” The Rebbe’s practical advice was to learn Chassidus in a way that will open the mind’s eye.
[3] The Lubavitcher Rebbe brings out, that this is similar to a rocket that must have an internal thrust to fly in Outer Space, where there is no resistance from the atmosphere.
