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Why does Avos credit someone who walks to the Beis Midrash but doesn't learn, when walking isn't typically part of a mitzvah (מצוה)? Physical movement for Torah (תורה) and tefillah represents psychological commitment to transformation (l'ovdo). This explains why Avrohom's test of Lech Lecha wasn't about relocating for rewards, but about transforming from self-focus to serving God's agenda.
Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing a puzzling Mishna from Pirkei Avos that describes four characteristics of those who go to the Beis Midrash: those who go but don't learn (credit for walking), those who learn but don't go (credit for learning), those who both go and learn (chassid), and those who neither go nor learn (wicked). The rabbi asks fundamental questions: why does the Mishna describe this as "four types of those who go" when two types don't actually go? Why do we get credit specifically for walking to study, unlike other mitzvos? The answer lies in understanding that only two mitzvos - learning Torah (תורה) and davening - have a unique dimension beyond the mitzvah (מצוה) itself: the mitzvah of transformation (l'ovdo - to serve God). The Rambam (רמב"ם) teaches that l'ovdo is fulfilled through Torah study and prayer. Unlike other mitzvos where walking is merely preparation, in learning and davening, the act of going is part of the mitzvah itself because it represents commitment to personal transformation.
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Pirkei Avos 5:17
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