Reward for Mitzvot

Parshat ראה is an abbreviation for ראה אלול הגיע, "Look, Elul is here!" It is a continuation of a charge that Moshe is giving the people to remain strong in the observance of Mitzvot.The essence of the idea of the first part of the Parsha comes from Pirkei Avot where it says, שכר מצוה, מצוה, the reward for the observance of a Mitzva is the Mitzva itself. In the words of the Tanya, every Mitzva brings us closer to Hashem, and every עבירה distances us from Him.The Alshich points out how foolish it is for a person to think that he can lighten life's burdens by throwing off the yoke of Torah. One should never feel that he is limited in life because of taking on the yoke of Torah.The rewards for observing are far greater than we can ever imagine. Despite the feeling of contentment we have in observing a Mitzva, rewards can spread for one thousand generations. So continue being positive and feeling fortunate with our lot as observant Jews.