Why being good, isn’t good enough

The story is told of one of the saintly disciples of the Alter Rebbe, who not only was a scholar, but had a heart of gold – to no-one would he not seek to assist – when he came for yechidus – a soul to soul encounter – where the Alter Rebbe, being the source soul of the Jews of his generation – would peer to the depths of the fellow’s soul and guide on his next step in his spiritual growth (which is why people flocked to him) the Alter Rebbe told him, “one mustn’t be kind because one has a good heart, one must be kind because God has so commanded.”

Whereupon this man fainted.

Now what could possibly induce a person hearing the above statement, to faint?!

Which his fellow disciples asked him.

“There is a bird called chassidah, which means benevolent, for it does kindness (perhaps to its offspring;) so I realized, there is no difference between mine and her kindness, both emanating from our instinctual desire to be kind!”

This is the great lesson of Judaism – for it seems almost contradictory: wouldn’t it be far better to be kind, because you have a good heart? then to be kind because Hashem so commanded!?

The answer is, that all we do because we desire to do it, also inflates our ego! – however when we do the very same thing, because God has so commanded it – as all times we are obligated to listen to authority – diminishes our ego!