Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers a surprising answer.
It starts with remembering God's wonders. According to the Midrash, everything God does for the righteous in this world is a remembrance, a mere glimpse of the true justice to come in the world to come. Then, as Psalm 111:3 states, "His righteousness endures forever."
And what does God truly desire from us? The Midrash tells us, quoting Proverbs 31:30, that "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." It's not about superficial qualities. The key isn't beauty or wealth, but the yirat Hashem, the fear of sin, the awe of God.
Jeremiah 9:24 puts it even more powerfully: "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord."
And who better to illustrate this than Abraham? The Midrash points out that even after all his great deeds, Abraham only boasted in his fear of the Lord. Remember the Akedah, the binding of Isaac? God Himself proclaimed, "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:12).
The Midrash connects this idea to the entire Torah. It states that Abraham fulfilled the whole Torah, from Aleph to Tav (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, signifying completeness). Genesis 26:5 says, "Because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions." Because of this, the psalm of ascent is said about him, from Aleph to Tav, along with the psalm of his wife, from Mem to Tav (again, completeness), "Praiseworthy is the woman who fears the Lord."
But here's the really beautiful part. It's not just what Abraham did, but how he did it. The Midrash emphasizes that he didn't perform the commandments with anguish or reluctance, but with joy and a deep desire.
Think about it. When God told him, "Go forth from your land" (Genesis 12:1), Abraham didn't hesitate. "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him" (Genesis 12:4). When God commanded circumcision, he didn't delay. "On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him" (Genesis 17:23). And even with the agonizing command to sacrifice Isaac, "Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey...He set out for the place God had told him about" (Genesis 22:3). "And Abraham rose early in the morning." He was eager to fulfill the mitzvah (commandment).
The Midrash then highlights the joy surrounding Isaac's birth and circumcision. "And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old" (Genesis 21:4). They brought him for the afternoon prayer, and made a feast and celebration. The sages derived from this that we are obligated to make joy and celebration on the day we circumcise our sons, just as Abraham did, as it is written, "And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned" (Genesis 21:8). One should greatly desire to fulfill this mitzvah.
So, what's the takeaway? It's not just about following the rules, but about embracing them with love and enthusiasm. It's about recognizing that true service to God comes from a place of joy, not obligation. Maybe that's the real secret to impressing the Almighty—not just doing what's expected, but doing it with a full heart.