Telling the truth because it is true

שו”ת › Category: faith › Telling the truth because it is true

asked 7 years ago

Hello Rabbi
What obligates me, in the divine commandment? Apparently, the only reason I have to do the commandments is the interest of repairing the world and of reward and punishment. What else, besides the aforementioned interest, obligates me?
Thank you very much.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

0 Answers

0 Vote Up Vote Down

מיכי Staff answered 7 years ago

You need to distinguish between two different questions: What obliges you is that this is the truth (this is the right way to act. Perhaps it corrects the world in some way – spiritually or physically). Why do this? That’s a personal matter. If you’re not interested in the truth, then maybe the fear of punishment and the hopes of reward. Just a connection to the people and their culture. Habits. Each and their own tricks. And a semantic note: I wouldn’t call fixing the world an interest.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

אבי replied 7 years ago

What is meant by "this is the right way to act", right in what sense? Is it simply axiomatic first-order rationality?

מיכי Staff replied 7 years ago

If you ask me why to do a moral act, I will answer: because it is moral (this is the moral truth). Likewise, when you ask why to do a mitzvah, I will answer: because it is a mitzvah (this is the religious truth, there is a religious obligation to obey God Almighty). There is no explanation for such a fundamental question. If you will, a first rational/axiom. But the axiom is not arbitrary but self-evident (does not require explanation).