‘Keep My decrees’ and live a meaningful life

G-d instructs Moshe to tell the people about the importance of observing His statutes and laws: “Keep My decrees and laws that a person can do — and live with them. For I am G-d.”

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan offers a keen interpretation, which he credits to the viewpoint of Ralbag: “Keep My decrees and laws, since it is only by keeping them that a person can [truly] live. I am G-d.” His footnote explains, “This teaches that one may violate any commandment of the Torah to save a life” — with the exceptions of murder, idolatry, and immorality.

When we focus on “living,” rabbis differ on how life is defined. Rabbenu Bachaye quotes a number of interpretations which will now be presented, as we sort this out together.

The Talmudic view: One should live with the [laws] and not die with them. Don’t have these statues cause you to lose your life.

The Midrashic view: Live with them — in the world to come. Your performance of mitzvot will give an indication of what your life in the next world will look like.

There are four types of living, of the body and the soul, that are associated with the act of doing mitzvot.

1. A person who has intent when performing mitzvoth, and is doing them to be rewarded with wealth, property, honor, and long life.

2. Someone who has intent when performing mitzvoth, and is doing them to be rewarded in the world to come.

3. A person who has intent to fulfill mitzvoth out of love, with no condition or contingent to be rewarded in this world. This person merits to have a meaningful life in this world and in the world to come. An example of this kind of living was modeled by our Forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

4. Someone who is involved in mitzvoth only, with no physical concerns, to the point that he seems to be without a body, simply that his heart and thoughts are with G-d all the time. This person merits to live forever, and death has no power over him. Examples are Hanokh and Elijah.

There are also four kinds of lives people merit to have through observance of Torah and mitzvoth.

1. One lives as people live, with longevity, and their souls are maintained in their bodies on account of their attention to their health.