Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the opinion of Rabbi Shimon, that the minimum amount to violate a prohibition on consumables of kzayis is only for liability in terms of sacrifices, but in terms of Beis Din administering lashes, that would be for any amount of consumption. The Shaagas Aryeh (100) raises an interesting question. Since, according to Rabbi Shimon, clearly the threshold of kzayis is much more limited, what about when it comes to fulfilling positive commandments? Would there be any mitzvah in doing less than the kzayis shiur? Imagine if you didn’t have enough matzah on Seder night; would there be any value in having a small piece?
There are poskim who discuss this, bringing proofs from various sugyos in the Gemara and many hold that there is no value at all, and nothing is accomplished by consuming less than the requisite amount. (See for example Shevos Yaakov II:19) If that is so, how do we understand this? Why, for a prohibition, does it make sense to deem it a violation even for the smallest amount, but for a mitzvah, we require a certain minimum? One way to understand it psychologically is that to perform a mitzvah, it requires some type of accomplishment with meaningful effect. By its very nature, it is a positive and constructive act and requires more energy running against entropic trends. Therefore, there could, and should, be a legal minimum to define what’s being accomplished. On the other hand, a violation is not a constructive act. It is a destructive act. Any aspect of it is destructive, although, as we see, not all of it might incur the same consequences, but it is still ultimately destruction. One ounce of poison is still poison even if it doesn’t kill you.
It occurs to me, there is a positive side to this perspective as well. Because if we view that even the most minimal amount still incurs violation, it gives us a unique opportunity to frame the mitzvah of resisting sin differently, based on the following Gemara (Makkos 23b):
“It is inferred that with regard to one who sits and did not perform a transgression, God gives him a reward like that received by one who performs a mitzvah.”
If this is true, then even if one holds back from the most minimal transgression, that would be seen as still a great mitzvah. Looking at it another way, we might even say, if someone resists transgressing a sin, even for 10 minutes longer and then ultimately is overpowered by his impulses, perhaps he still receives a reward for those 10 minutes.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com