In Parsha Lech Lecha, Avraham is commanded to perform Brit Milha, circumcision, on himself and all male offspring. This mitzva is kept by almost all Jewish families til today.
(9) God further said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring to come throughout the ages shall keep My covenant. (10) Such shall be the covenant between Me and you and your offspring to follow which you shall keep: every male among you shall be circumcised.
1. Recent News articles about health benefits of mitzvot
Male circumcision can reduce cervical, penile and possibly prostate cancer.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3668781/)
What's the deal with male circumcision and female cervical cancer?
After controlling for lifestyle variables, the women partnered with men who were circumcised had significantly reduced rates of infection with both low and high risk HPV genotypes. However, the women in this study were overwhelmingly monogamous (only 4% of female participants had more than one sexual partner in the year prior to the study), so the results cannot be extrapolated to women with multiple sexual partners. (Scientific American Blog)
Study shows regular tefillin use can protect men during heart attacks (JTA)
Jewish men who wrap leather straps around their arm as part of their daily morning prayers may also be protecting themselves from the worst effects of heart attacks, a study found.
A pilot study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine found that regular users of tefillin, or phylacteries, may receive cardiovascular health benefits though remote ischemic preconditioning — that is, briefly restricting blood flow and oxygen to the heart and then restoring it.
2. What is a Mitzvah? A VERY short explanation
Rabbi Aryeh Carmell, Master Plan
The concept of mitzvah introduces a new motive into our lives: we act in a certain way not because we happen to feel it is right, but because we realize that this is how God wants us to act. This introduces a higher dimension into our lives. In fact it involves a revolutionary change in our attitude toward ourselves, the world and our fellow beings.
דאמר ר' חנינא גדול המצווה ועושה יותר משאינו מצווה ועושה
As Rabbi Ḥanina says: Greater is one who is commanded to do a mitzva and performs it than one who is not commanded and performs it.
Greater is... a person is concerned constantly to negate their own will in order to uphold the commandments of their Creator.
Rabbi Osher Chaim Levene, Set in Stone, p.31
Judaism is not as much a religion as it is a relationship. It is only through mitzvah observance that man can build a deep, enduring, and meaningful relationship with God …
3. Why do we do Mitvot?
(24) Then the LORD commanded us to observe all these decrees, to revere the LORD our God, for our lasting good and to give us life as this very day
Rambam, end of Hilchot Temurah (The Laws of Temurah)
And all these matters [the mitzvot] are to [help us to] overcome our negative inclinations and to correct our traits; and most laws of the Torah are instruction from afar from the Great Adviser [to help us] to correct our character traits and straighten our ways.
רַב אָמַר לֹא נִתְּנוּ הַמִּצְווֹת אֶלָּא לְצָרֵף בָּהֶן אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, וְכִי מָה אִיכְפַּת לֵיהּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמִי שֶׁשּׁוֹחֵט מִן הַצַּוָּאר אוֹ מִי שֶׁשּׁוֹחֵט מִן הָעֹרֶף, הֱוֵי לֹא נִתְּנוּ הַמִּצְווֹת אֶלָּא לְצָרֵף בָּהֶם אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת.
Rav said: Were not the mitzvot given so that man might be refined by them? . Do you really think that The Holy One of Blessing cares if an animal is slaughtered by front or by the back of the neck? Therefore, mitzvot were only given to make humans better.
שרצו לומר שאין התועלת במצות להקב"ה בעצמו יתעלה אבל התועלת באדם עצמו למנוע ממנו נזק או אמונה רעה או מדה מגונה או לזכור הנסים ונפלאות הבורא יתברך ולדעת את השם וזהו לצרף בהן שיהיו ככסף צרוף כי הצורף הכסף אין מעשהו בלא טעם אבל להוציא ממנו כל סיג וכן המצות להוציא מלבנו כל אמונה רעה ולהודיענו האמת ולזוכרו תמיד
As they wanted to say that there is no gain in the commandment for the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, may He be elevated; but [rather] the gain is for man himself - to prevent him from damage or a bad belief or a disgusting character trait, or to remember the miracles and wonders of the Creator, may He be blessed, and to know God. And this is [the meaning of] "to purify them" - that they should be like purified silver; as the action of a smelter is not without a reason, but [rather] to extract all the dross from it. And so [too] are the commandments to extract from our hearts every bad belief and to inform us of the truth and to always remind us of it.
3. What is the Reason for the Mitzah?
Rabbi Binyomin Forst, The Laws of Kashrut, Introduction
The purpose of understanding a mitzvah is not to comprehend what is accomplished with the mitzvah, but rather to perceive the lessons to be drawn from the mitzvah. God does not need us to care for His creatures; He has countless means at His disposal. The purpose of the mitzvah of chasing away the mother bird before taking her eggs or chicks is that we internalize feelings of compassion (see Maimonides on Deuteronomy 22:6).
Rambam, Hilchot Temurah 4:13
Even though all the laws of the Torah are [Divine] decrees … it is still fitting that a person contemplate them, and give reasons for them as much as he can; and the early Sages said that King Solomon understood most of the reasons of all the laws of the Torah.
Rabbis Mordechai Becher and Moshe Newman, After the Return
Both Maimonides (Guide 3:3 1) and Nachmanides seem to understand the reasons for the mitzvot not as the motives behind the commandments but as the side-benefits of the mitzvot ― the impact that the mitzvot have on the individual, on society or on the universe as a whole. They disagree as to what those benefits are and as to how the mitzvot impart those benefits: Maimonides stresses the sociological and psychological whereas the Ramban stresses the metaphysical. All agree, however, that the mitzvot have "reasons," and that God does not benefit from our fulfillment of the mitzvot; rather, it is we who are refined by the mitzvot.
Ramban (Nachmanides), Shemot 13:16
Our Sages taught that “One should be careful with a mitzvah that people treat lightly just as he is careful with a mitzvah that people treat seriously,” as all mitzvot are precious and coveted. This is because every time a person fulfills any mitzvah, he acknowledges God. And the purpose of all the mitzvot is for us to believe in God and to thank Him for creating us.
Further Questions we did not have time for in this class
While the reformers of traditional Judaism in Europe in the 19th century did away with many of the external trappings of Jewish life, kashrut and strict Shabbat observance — Brit Milah is strongly observed. Why do you think that is?
Is it ok to practice mitzvot because of the perceived benefit rather than just doing goes will?
This source sheet was based in part on NLE Resources class, The Mitzvot: Why They are Detailed. The entire class can be found here.