Today we will quote from a Yalkut Shemoni, a Midrash on Devarim (remez 920). The pasuk talks about when a person hates his friend, ambushes him and kills him. It talks of murder. But before any of that, it starts off by saying, “And he hated him.” From here, says the Midrash, we see that when a person transgresses a Mitzvah kalah/ a light Mitzvah (one that is not as severe), in the end it will bring him to transgress a Mitzvah Hamurah- a more stringent Mitzvah. It starts off with transgressing Veahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha- he doesn’t love his friend like he loves himself, It’s a lack of a mitzvah, but person doesn’t get death for that. However, it will eventually lead to bearing a grudge. And then it will lead to vengeance, and then it leads to hate, and then it comes to not helping him out in his time of need. And then it will come to standing by when he is in trouble. Eventually, it will come to murder. The Yalkut Shemoni says a big Hiddush here.
In the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot chapter 4, Ben Azai tells us a rule, Chase a light Mitzvah like a heavy Mitzvah (we mentioned this topic yesterday),
Why? The next line is,
Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah- one Mitzvah drags another, and Averah Goreret Averah, one sin drags with it another.
So Veahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha is the beginning of a snowball effect. It’s the domino effect. It brings down everything with it.
This is a powerful concept. We can’t always just jump to the top. We have to start with small things, but they grow. Rabbenu Yonah says that there are two powers in a Mitzvah. The first is that when a person does a small Mitzvah, that brings him closer to Hashem and it conditions him to serving God. Then the next Mitzvah gets a little easier, even if there’s a little bit more work involved. He slowly conditions himself, and builds himself up. It’s like lifting weights. You start with five pounders, and then increase to 10 and 20, and before you know it, you’re lifting 45 pounds. A person’s nature gets used to doing Mitzvot this way.
So you start with a little Veahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha in your heart, then you bring the person a cup of coffee, or make a phone call. And it grows and grows and grows. So too, with the opposite. Sins also grow. If you did one Averah, you’ve distanced yourself from serving Hashem. And then it becomes easier with the next one, and so on.
The next point, he says, is supernatural. When a person does a mitzvah, God gives him supernatural help to do another one, because you’re not always able to do Mitzvot on your own. So God gives you supernatural help (and the opposite is true as well).
But the first stepping stone, in all of our service between man and man, the catalyst for everything, is that small little mitzvah of Veahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha. It starts in your heart, before you have done anything, but it will bring you to great things.
And Has v’ shalom, the opposite will bring the opposite.
Have a wonderful day.