It is a good thing to know the rationales of the mitzvos, so that they are not performed by rote. For the Holy One was angered over this matter, and He said through His prophet Yeshayah: Inasmuch as this people has drawn close, with its mouth and with its lips it has honored Me, yet it has distanced its heart from Me – their fear of Me is like rote learning of human commands – therefore, behold, I will continue to perform more wonders against this people – wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of its wise men will be lost etc. (Yeshayah 29:13-14). May the Merciful One protect us! There are times that if one performs the mitzvah without knowing its rationale is like a body without a soul. For example, the mitzvah of tzitzis which we were commanded by Hashem to keep and He revealed its rationale and said: you shall see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem…. So that you may remember and perform all My commandments etc. (Bamidbar 15:39-40). Now, if the person put on tzitzis but did not give any thought to remember the mitzvos, he has not fulfilled the intention of our Creator. The same is true of the mitzvah of tefillin and of other similar commandments. If you ponder this you will see that one who does not know the rationales of mitzvos is virtually bare of mitzvos. So, if someone does not have this knowledge, let him ask those who do, and let him sit at the dust of the feet of sages so that he may learn.
