Joy in Accepting Mitzvos

בפסוק משארותם צרורות כו' על שכמם כו' שהיו מחבבין המצות.

“In the verse: ‘Their kneading bowls were bound… upon their shoulders,’ they cherished the commandments.”

The Sefat Emet explains that Israel’s act of carrying the dough demonstrated their love for the mitzvot.

להיות כי הי' מצוה ראשונה שנצטוו בה ישראל וקיבלוה בשמחה.

For this was the first commandment given to Israel, and they accepted it with joy.

The joy arose precisely because it was their inaugural mitzvah as a nation.

וזה הי' הכנה לכל הדורות שיוכלו להרגיש שמחה בעשיית המצוה.

And this became a preparation for all generations, enabling them to feel joy in performing a mitzvah.

The initial joy invested in the first commandment imprinted joy into the spiritual DNA of all future mitzvah‑performance.

ושמחה של מצוה הוא דבר גדול שניתקן כל האדם בכח שמחה זו.

And joy in a mitzvah is something great, for through this joy a person becomes repaired.

According to the Sefat Emet, mitzvah‑joy has transformative, even healing, power for the whole person.

וידעו בנ"י היטב כי כל הגאולה הי' כדי שיכנסו בכלל עבדי ה'.

And Israel knew well that the entire redemption was so that they might enter into the category of servants of God.

Their liberation was understood not as freedom from service, but freedom for divine service.

והי' עיקר השמחה שלהם בהגאולה ע"י שזכו להיכנס בכלל עבדי ה'.

And the essence of their joy in the redemption was that they merited to become servants of God.

The Sefat Emet emphasizes that servitude to God was itself their greatest delight.

כמ"ש יצאו כל צבאות ה' והטו שכמם לקבל עול מצותיו בשמחה.

As it is written: “All the hosts of the Lord went out,” and they bent their shoulders to receive the yoke of His commandments with joy.

The imagery of “bending the shoulder” expresses willing and joyful acceptance of obligation.

ולכן ג"כ מקיימים בנ"י לדורות מצות מצה בליל פסח בשמחה כמאמר חכמינו ז"ל מצות שקיבלו בשמחה עדיין עושים בשמחה.

Therefore Israel also fulfills the commandment of matzah on the night of Passover with joy, as our sages said: “A commandment accepted with joy is still performed with joy.”

The joy of the first generation perpetuates itself in every subsequent Passover observance.

[וז"ש אחר פרשת משכו ויקד העם וישתחוו ע"ש פרש"י.

[And this is what it means after the section “Draw forth,” that the people bowed and prostrated themselves, as Rashi explains.]

Their bowing was an act of gratitude upon receiving the command.

וי"ל שהי' על קבלת מצוה ראשונה בשמחה נתנו ע"ז שבח והודאה שזכו להיות מצוינים במצות הש"י].

It may be said that it was for receiving the first mitzvah with joy that they offered praise and thanks, for they merited to be distinguished with God’s commandments.]

The Sefat Emet concludes that their gratitude stemmed from being marked—distinguished—by divine mitzvot.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that Israel’s joyful acceptance of their first mitzvah planted enduring spiritual joy into all mitzvah‑observance, shaping the meaning of redemption as joyful entry into God’s service.