Musar su Salmi 19:12

Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, also said (Avodah Zarah 35a) that [the understanding of the verse] (Song of Songs 1:2), “For your love (dodekha) is better than wine” is [that] the statements of the Scribes are more beloved than the wine of the Torah. And we need to explain this also: You should surely know that the fear of God is the foundation of the commandments, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12), “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you, other than to fear the Lord, your God.” And through this, God desires His creatures, as it is stated (Psalms 147:11), “The Lord desires those who fear Him.” And the ordinances of the Sages, and their decrees are the foundation of fear [of God]. For it makes a fence and a separation, lest the hand of a man [even] touch a Torah prohibition. [This is] like the owner of a field that makes a fence for his field since it is precious in his eyes. For he is afraid lest people enter it and it become a place to send oxen and for sheep to trample, like the matter that is stated (Leviticus 18:30), “You shall keep My guarding” - make a guarding for my guarding (Yevamot 21a). And is much carefulness, the fence and the separation from the prohibition not from the essence of fear? And one who augments his carefulness will reach great reward, like the matter that is stated, (Psalms 19:12), “Also Your servant pays them heed; in obeying them, there is much reward.” Therefore they said [that] the statements of the Scribes are more beloved than the wine of the Torah. For their fences and decrees are from the foundations of fear [of God]. And the reward for the commandment of fear is great in comparison to many [Torah] commandments, as it is the foundation for them. And the example for this thing is that one who is careful not to isolate himself with a woman, from his fear lest he stumble into iniquity - and like our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, decreed - is this not because the light of the fear of God, may He be blessed, shone upon his soul?

We need to appreciate that the name יעקב is in fact ישראל. The name יעקב alludes to an exalted position on earth, i.e. in this world; it reflects observance of Torah in this world, not expecting to be rewarded in this world, but being content היום, לעשותו, מחל לקבל שכרם, as we have explained earlier. The name ישראל is the direct outcome of יעקב having been what he was here on earth. Our sages have taught us that שכר מצוה מצוה, that the reward of performing a commandment is the מצוה itself (Avot 4,2). This means that the spiritual element of the מצוה one performs on earth becomes the glue with which one attaches oneself to G–d in the Hereafter. When David refers to the great reward in store as a result of observing the commandments, i.e. בשמרם עקב רב (Psalms 19,12), he points to the seemingly insignificant commandments people are in the habit of ignoring. The word Eikev means סוף, end. The word סוף also means תכלית, the ultimate purpose of life as defined by Solomon in Kohelet 12,13 in the words: סוף דבר את האלוקים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור כי זה כל האדם. "To sum up: Fear the Lord, observe His commandments, for this is what man is all about." This סוף which Solomon speaks about in Kohelet is the latter part of Jacob's name עקב, heel, itself the tail-end of a person. This יעקב was alluded to earlier in the Torah when G–d said to Isaacs, “I shall multiply your seed like the stars of the heaven" (26,4). G–d goes on to say that inheritance of the land of Israel will be due to Abraham having listened to G–d's voice and having observed His commandments, עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי. The word עקב refers to that part of יעקב's name.

The opening verse in our parsha may describe that the very משפטים which we observe will be our "reward," i.e. will be the cause that develops our humility within us. The word עקב, humility, is the result of our observing G–d's commandments. The next achievement will be יראת שמים, reverence for G–d, עקב, as a result of our having achieved a degree of humility. This could also be another meaning of the well known saying מצות אדם דש בעקביו, "the commandments a person 'threshes' with his heels." We normally understand this as a reference to those commandments which most people "trample," i.e. do not bother to observe. However, it could mean also that when one observes the commandments out of a sense of humility, בעקביו, the beneficial results could be far-reaching.