Torah law is not a place for guessing, doubt, neglect or error. While many of the verses, Talmudic teachings and rabbinical scholarship may be well known, it is not always easy to remember or apply them in daily life. Yet, the Torah requires great and uncompromising fulfillment of its commandments, laws, ethics and principles.

King Solomon tells us (Proverbs 3:6), "In all your ways know Him and He will direct your paths." Metzudas Dovid writes that this teaches us to know G-d in all matters. Pay attention, consider and do what you do in order to achieve G-d's will. Then he will give you direction and success. Rabbainu Yonah adds that this applies to all of your undertakings, both big and small.

Everything we do is capable of being a manifestation of the will of Hashem. All things in life are for communion with G-d, in what the Jew is to do and what the Jew is to be.

"The Torah of Hashem is perfect, it returns the soul (Psalms 19:8)." Rashi writes that the meaning of "returns the soul" is that "Torah returns the soul from the ways of death to the ways of life." The Torah nurtures and developes the eternal part which lives on forever. Learning and practicing the Torah is the means to a "returned soul," to eternal life. The midrash asks: when does Torah return the soul? Only when the Torah is "perfect." It is the Jew's lifelong obligation to diligently learn and fulfill the Torah's mitzvos and laws. The Torah is divine will, above human comprehension. When is the Torah perfect? When it is Hashem's. Trust in G-d with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

There are two words in Hebrew meaning to teach: lilamaid and lihoros. What is the difference? Lilamaid means to teach in order that one know. Lihoros means to teach in order that one will DO. The word "Torah" is a noun form of the verb lihoros. The Torah is to be learned in order that the Jew know what he must do. Study is not the essential thing; rather action is (Pirkei Avos chapter 1). Knowledge without doing the will of Hashem is not Torah. Learning just to know is not enough. Learning is Torah when it bring one to practical fulfillment of its commandments and laws. By all means learn. Elevate your ability to DO and BE what Hashem wants us to. Rely on the Torah and the leaders who are alive in your days (Deuteronomy 17:9) and do exactly as they tell you (Deuteronomy 17:11). Take practical questions to a rav for case by case instruction so that you can do what the Torah wants you to.

A foundation of the Torah is to behave with our fellow human being in a manner of "Love your fellow Jew as you love yourself." The Torah imposes high standards and numerous demands upon the Jew in the bain adam lechavairo (interpersonal) domain. This obligates us to keep working, learning and improving; to be expert on how to be good, giving, kind, respectful, pleasant, thoughtful, peaceful...to be a good force for other people. For that we have to look into the Torah and know how to do the mitzvos and fulfill the laws the way Hashem wants us to.

The Torah tells us to be holy (Leviticus 19:2). The Jew must be holy in everything that he does. He must sanctify earthly life, human relations and Hashem through the way we deal with each activity and situation. The Jew must assess when the strict letter of the law is not enough, what the true context of a situation (in Torah terms) is and what the true goals of the Torah are.

The mitzva to be holy is so central that Hashem commanded Moshe to assemble the entire Jewish people and proclaim it publicly. It is so fundamental and important that the Jew make himself into an instrument of holiness that Hashem commanded Moshe to declare this before the entire population.

Holiness "fills in" where the Torah would otherwise be lacking. Someone whose approach is technical falls short of "Torah" when he fulfills law in a strict sense. The Maharal says that rigidly defining bounds is a material characteristic. You can only define strict bounds in things which are in a material world, where dimensions can exist. If one approaches spirituality in a manner constrained by nature of the physical world, that's a contradiction and a defeating of the purpose.

A eats glatt kosher but constantly shovels food in like a pig. B gave his technical quota of charity and refuses to give to a poor person who comes to him starving. C's wife come crying to him about a problem with one of the children and he says that he refuses to talk about mundane matters when he could be spending the time learning Torah. In each case, there has to be daas Torah (instruction) governing what is done. These people fulfill technical law but violate the commandment to be holy. To be holy, one must elevate beyond the norms of the material world and its nature. The Jew must fulfill the will of G-d and emulate the spiritual traits of G-d. [to be continued]