Mitzvos Are Not the Means to Some Other End!

TIDE (‘Torah Im Derech Eretz’) is dedicated to all mitzvos. It rejects the Medieval Spanish notion of mitzvos as handmaidens to the ultimate goal of philosophic understanding. This notion was influenced arguably by Aristotelian-Arabic philosophers. R’ Hirsch’s explanation of the meaning and symbolism of mitzvos helps to enhance our love for the mitzvos. Rather, mitzvos are an end goal themselves.

(See 19 Letters, Letter 18).

Excerpted from The Torah Im Derech Eretz Society, here.

See the rest here (I couldn’t copy it all!)