The Mitzvos Of Kofrim

Recently we posted about people who keep mitzvos but don't really believe in them. Does such a person even get credit if he does a mitzva sans belief??

How do you pronounce "sans"? Did I use it correctly??

Anyway, the heilige Reb Elchonon ztz"l in his Kovetz Shiurim [vol. 2 simman 47/14] discusses this matter and says "No way!" How can one be considered doing a mitzva if he doesn't believe in the metzave [i.e. G-d]? The action is in the category of מתעסק - a completely unintentional action. He doesn't MEAN to do a mitzva so it is like a mistake. Rav Hutner ztz"l in the Pachad on Pesach [maamar 10] echoes this thought. R' Naftali Bar-Ilan treats this issue at length in the Ohr Hamizrach journal [37 page 224 and on]. עיין שם!

Rav Shlomo Zalman ztz"l [in Halichos Shlomo] had a different approach. He posited that when a person does a mitzva, even if he is a kofer, he ALSO has a "tzad" [sneaking suspicion] that there IS a G-d and that what he is doing has transcendental meaning. Thus, it WOULD count as a mitzva.

This is a topic that requires more discussion.....:-)

A gut choidesh!