The gemara [Kiddushin 31] first says that it is greater to do mitzvos voluntarily than it is to do them out of obligation but concludes that is is better to do mitzvos out of obligation. גדול המצווה ועושה ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה. OF COURSE, both opinions are correct and אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים.
It is greater to perform mitzvos voluntarily because it shows a deep pining to fulfill the will of Hashem even though one could get away with not doing the mitva.
It is greater to perform a mitzva out of obligation for numerous reasons – as explicated in our holy books.
1] When one is commanded, the power of the commander inheres in the mitzva. כח המצווה במצוה. When volunteering, the act itself is praiseworthy but lacks the same potency.
2] When performing out of obligation – one places himself into the ENTIRE FRAMEWORK of the 613 mitzvos. It is not just THIS MITZVA that he is doing but he is essentially declaring “I am obligated in ALL of the mitzvos because G-d is Boss – not me. When one volunteers – it is HE who decides and not the Boss. [עי' בתוס' ר"י הזקן על אתר ובס' באר מרים מה שביאר דבריו]
When one “picks and chooses” which mitzvos he does, even the mitzvos he chooses to fulfill lack the kedusha and power they would contain if he would fulfill all of the mitzvos, because by not keeping some of the mitzvos [purposely and pre-meditatively], he is essentially asserting that it is HE who decides whether or not he must keep mitzvos. The goal of the mitzva is to submit to a Higher Power and not to assert my own power.
3] When one is מצווה ועושה he overcomes the natural yetzer hara to rebel and the challenge of acting out of obligation which is often perceived as a pain and tircha.
מצווה ועושה parallels Torah Shebichtav while אינו מצווה ועושה [because it is an unchanging immutable Divine command] parallels Torah Shebial Peh [which includes human input]. Ultimately - even Torah Shebial Peh must be rooted in Torah Shebichtav and similarly, even those mitzvos we perform voluntarily must be rooted in Hashem's rulership over the world and more importantly - His rulership over ourselves.
In conclusion – volunteering is GREAT but there is nothing like fulfilling obligations. The secret to success in ruchniyus is understanding our obligations in this world and fulfilling them without giving ourselves too many breaks. As the great R' Luzzatto starts his classic sefer יסוד החסידות ושורש העבודה שיתברר ויתאמת האדם מהו חובתו בעולמו – Everybody has different obligations [outside of the standard obligations we all have] and every person must know what they are and then be vigilant in fulfilling them.
You can think about this next time you say the words אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו - Hashem commanded us with His mitzvos and sanctified us. Part of the sanctification in the mitzva act and part of it is because of the command.
[Based on a shiur - עי' מי מרום י"ג בפיסקה אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו]
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