אור החיים — וצדקה תהיה לנו כי נשמר לעשות

Q — What is the 'tzedakah' (merit/righteousness) referred to in 'וצדקה תהיה לנו כי נשמר לעשות'? Ramban reads it as God's reward given to us as a charity, since as servants we are obligated to serve and have no claim to wages — but Or HaChaim rejects this, since 'תהיה לנו' implies that we are the ones performing the tzedakah.

A — Or HaChaim explains there are two tiers of serving God. The first is avodah from fear (יראה), which is the basic obligation of every creature — as a servant fears his master — and corresponds to the preceding verses. The second is avodah from love (אהבah), 'a great and mighty mitzvah' that goes beyond what a servant strictly owes: a servant need only refrain from hating and do the required work. Serving from love is therefore an act of tzedakah we perform — going beyond the line of duty — which is what brings us to stand 'before the Lord.'