Mitzvos as the lamp we kindle ourselves

במדרש משל הפקח והסומא כשבאו אל הבית אומר הפיקח להסומא צא והדלק לי כדי שלא יחזיק טובה כך סומא אלו ישראל נגששה כעורים קיר כו'.

In the Midrash: a parable of the sighted man and the blind man — when they came to the house, the sighted one says to the blind one, "Go out and kindle a light for me," so that [the blind man] not feel beholden. So too the "blind" are Yisrael, as in "we grope like the blind along a wall" (Yeshayahu 59:10), etc.

The sighted man asks the blind man to light the lamp not because he needs it but so the blind man need not feel indebted. So Hashem arranges that Yisrael accomplish their needs themselves, sparing them the shame of receiving unearned charity.

פי' כמו בהסומא מה שיכול בעצמו למצוא הצורך לו נסתלק הפקח ממנו שיותר נוח לו שלא יצטרך לסיוע מהפקח.

The explanation: just as with the blind man, whatever he is able to obtain by himself, the sighted man withdraws from helping him, for it is more pleasant for [the blind man] not to need the sighted man's assistance.

It is more dignified for a person to provide for himself than to lean on another; so the helper steps back wherever the dependent one can manage on his own.

כענין זה הוא שאמרו שרצונו ית' הי' שיזכו בנ"י במעשיהם משום דמאן דאכיל דלאו דילי' בהית לאסתכולי בי'.

In this manner is what they said: that His will, may He be blessed, was that Bnei Yisrael should attain merit through their own deeds, because "one who eats that which is not his own is ashamed to look upon it" (i.e., ashamed to look at the giver — "nahama dichisufa").

Hashem desires that Yisrael earn their portion through their own mitzvos, sparing them the "bread of shame" of receiving a gift they did nothing to deserve.

והנה ענין המצות הוא מה שאדם במעשיו מדליק לו נר בתוך החשיכה כדאיתא במד' תצוה פי' נר מצוה והוא ממש כמו עור המגשש בקיר ומוצא לו דרך בתוך החושך.

Now, the matter of the mitzvos is that through his deeds a person kindles a lamp for himself in the darkness, as it is taught in the Midrash on Tetzaveh regarding "a mitzvah is a lamp" (Mishlei 6:23). And this is literally like the blind man who gropes along the wall and finds himself a path within the darkness.

By performing mitzvos a person lights his own lamp in the dark of this world — finding his way by his own effort, like the blind man feeling along the wall.

אבל בחי' תורה אור הוא הנהגת הפקח שמנהג הסומא.

But the dimension of "Torah is light" (Mishlei 6:23) is the guidance of the sighted man who leads the blind man.

Torah is not the blind man's groping but the sighted one's clear vision — a higher light that leads from above.

והגם שהוא מעלה יתירה שהולך בלי שום פחד עכ"ז אינו משל עצמו.

And although this is a higher level — for he walks without any fear — nevertheless it is not "of his own."

Being led by the light of Torah is loftier and free of stumbling, yet it is a borrowed light, not earned by one's own labor.

אבל בחי' נר מצוה הוא בכח האדם עצמו וזה נר לרגלי דבריך.

But the dimension of "a mitzvah is a lamp" is by the person's own power, and this is "a lamp to my feet is Your word" (Tehillim 119:105).

The lamp of mitzvos is kindled by a person's own effort; it is "his own," lighting the path at his very feet.

וז"ש חז"ל רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל לכן הרבה תורה ומצות להיות מתפשט אור התורה במעשי המצות שלהם:

And this is what Chazal said: "Hashem wished to give merit to Yisrael, therefore He gave them abundant Torah and mitzvos" — so that the light of the Torah should spread through the deeds of their mitzvos.

Hashem gave both Torah and mitzvos so that the supernal light of Torah would flow specifically through Yisrael's own deeds — uniting the borrowed light with the self-earned lamp, so they receive without shame.

Summary: A sighted man asks a blind companion to kindle a lamp not because he needs it, but to spare the blind man the shame of receiving unearned help. So too Hashem wills that Bnei Yisrael earn their portion through their own deeds, avoiding the "bread of shame." The mitzvos are the lamp a person kindles by his own power in the darkness ("ner mitzvah"), while the Torah is the higher light by which the sighted leads the blind ("Torah ohr") — a loftier guidance that is nonetheless not one's own. Hashem gave abundant Torah and mitzvos so that the light of Torah would spread precisely through Yisrael's own mitzvah-deeds, granting them merit they have truly earned.