Q&A: Serve the Lord
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Serve the Lord
Question
How does one serve God with joy, when the positive commandments and prohibitions are so difficult and unpleasant?
Answer
The joy is not because the commandments themselves are joyful, but because you are serving God. So naturally, even in performing the commandments you can rejoice. I also do not see the terrible difficulty in observing the commandments.
Discussion on Answer
Psychology is not my field.
Okay, but regarding what you said—that it’s easy to keep the commandments,
Right, in my opinion there isn’t any great difficulty in it. But that’s only my opinion. And even if it isn’t easy—it’s still what we are obligated to do.
Okay, but how do you actually bring yourself to be happy—why, and about what?!
Most of the things people do nowadays are forbidden on the Sabbath, most real desires are forbidden by the Torah. Look at how the gentiles behave—most of what they do is forbidden to us. In short, someone who can do whatever he wants ends up with a rabbi and with prohibitions and transgressions all over.