Not Sinning For Lack of Opportunity

I, personally, don’t know anyone who has ever performed the rites of Ov or Yid’oni. I don’t know anyone who has given their children to Molech. I don’t know anyone who has an Asheira. I don’t think anyone here does either, nor, to the best of my knowledge, does anyone else in the world. These practices have been lost to the mists of history. Even if one *wanted* to perform them, there is no one alive today to show the prospective Ovite how to do the service.

This being the case, is there any reward for observing the mitzvos of not performing the Ov/Yid’oni and other rituals mentioned above? The lack of opportunity pretty much makes it impossible for anyone today to violate these commandments. As such, in what way can I stand before God and say “I kept Your commandment by not asking of Ov.” God would turn to me and say “Well, of course you didn’t. You never had the opportunity.” It’s almost like rewarding a one year old for not engaging in securities fraud. Is there even a point?

I understand, of course, that some of you are saying “Come on, Wolf… is that the best you can do? Give us something that at least has some relevancy in today’s world.” Truth to tell, I think that there is some application to this, even in today’s world. For example, I pride myself on being makpid not to talk during davening/k’rias hatorah. The truth, however, is that during the week I daven in a shul where I have no real friends and sit by myself in the corner. So, in reality, I’m in a position where not talking during davening is pretty easy for me, since the opportunity for socializing during davening really does not exist for me*. That being the case, do I really deserve any reward for it? Can I stand up before HKBH on Yom Kippur and say “See, God, I did what was right, I didn’t talk during davening.” That’s only slightly** more meaningful than “See, God, I didn’t consult with any practitioners of Ov.” In both cases, I lacked the opportunity (either by my temporal placement or my personality) to do anything to the contrary.

So, what’s the story? Is there any benefit to having kept the mitzvos out of lack of opportunity to violate them? Is there any meaning in standing up before God and saying “See, HaShem, I kept your mitzvos, I didn’t consume any piggul this year? See, HaShem, I didn’t talk during davening this year. See, HaShem, I didn’t drink any wine while a Nazir?”

(And, please, don’t answer “d’rosh v’kabel s’char.” I’m not talking about learning, I’m talking about being able to stand up before my Maker and say “I didn’t do X.” My answer is not dependent on whether nor not I’ve learned the subjects under discussion. I can say “I learned about piggul” but that’s not the same as wondering whether or not it’s meaningful to HKBH to say “I kept your mitzvos by not eating piggul.”)

The Wolf

* And before you say “well, get a friend in the shul,” the truth is that I am very reserved and am not the type to go over and initiate contact beyond what is absolutely necessary. Just my personality.

** Granted, it may be *slightly* better since, I suppose, were I so inclined, I could talk during davening, but it is so against my nature to be so openly social that if I don’t lack the opportunity, I certainly lack the desire.