We Will Do and We Will Hear
At the end of Mishpatim, the process of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai is revisited, including the crucial declaration: “we will do and we will hear” (Exodus 24:7). This statement is quoted throughout the ages in Jewish texts as the epitome of the people’s willingness to fulfill the Almighty’s commands, even when not fully comprehending the reasons for them. This statement, uttered even before the Torah was given, further emphasizes the people’s intent to follow the instructions of the Torah sight unseen with the hope that they would ultimately come to “hear,” which in this context means to understand. This is similar to the usage of the word “hear” in the cardinal statement of faith: “Hear O Israel God our God, God is one.”
The Ba’al Shem Tov interprets the words in the verse – “turn from evil and do good” – to mean not the usual interpretation of first turning from evil and only then clinging to good, but rather turning from evil by doing good. Although first turning from evil and only then being able to be free enough to do good is definitely sound advice, and in many or even most cases it may be the best formula, nonetheless there are times when a person can only extradite themselves from evil by introducing good deeds into their lives. The act of goodness has the power to conquer evil, even when initially a person does not have the strength to overcome their weaknesses, rote behavior or various physical or emotional addictions.
This same teaching by the Ba’al Shem Tov can be applied to the case of “we will do and [then] we will hear,” in that the understanding of a mitzvah can only really be comprehended by doing it. In the very act of fulfilling a mitzvah, the understanding may reveal itself. This is why the Sages state that “the act is the main thing.” If we would wait until we fully comprehended the incredible depths contained in every mitzvah before acting, we may never fulfill it. This innovative teaching from the Ba’al Shem Tov reveals that coming to understand the mitzvot can be achieved through their fulfillment, especially when applying our hearts, souls and entire beings in a state of joy.
