Why Follow the Commandments? To be Happy? To be Blessed? Or Something Much More...

Here's some notes from my little black notebook from earlier today...

People say that we should follow the Torah so we will be blessed.  But is that why we should do it?

The motivation for performing chukim (supra-rational decrees such as kashrut, Shabbat, etc) is NOT that it will make us happy (it may not) or that it will make us wise (it may not) or that it will bring us health, wealth, and love (it may not); rather, the motivation to perform the chukim is knowing that it HELPS (rather than hurts) our relationship with G-d and brings pleasure to Him (rather than pain) and, secondarily, that it helps us toward fulfilling the mitzvah to love our neighbor as ourself.  

If we have a relationship with G-d then we have EVERYTHING good.  Therefore, our sole motivation in life is to help our relationship with G-d and not to hurt it.  This thought should guide every choice we make.