Rashi cites the Talmud Bava Metzia 61b which suggests a reason that the Torah mentions the exodus from Egypt in conjunction with the mitzvah of tzitzis. During makas bechoros, smiting of the first born, Hashem distinguished between he who was actually a first born and he who was not. Similarly, in the future He will exact retribution from one who places a kala ilan, an indigo dyed wool in his garment and says that it is techeles, blue wool. This seems difficult to grasp. Who is the individual trying to deceive? Is he attempting to mislead the public? Do people really care if he wears techeles or not? The only person he might be deluding is himself. It seems unlikely that the Torah would place emphasis upon not deceiving oneself!
Horav Moshe Feinstein z.l. explains that pretense in mitzvah observance is wrong. One should not pretend to be more righteous than he really is. If he has no techeles and is exempt from the mitzvah, he should not pretend to have it. Not only is it wrong to fool others, even if he has no ulterior motives, his overrighteous deeds can have negative effects. Halacha admonishes against the use of “yoharah,” false religious pride. If one is not known to the public as a wise and pious man, it is pure deceit and conceit to put on a sham of religious devotion.
The rationale for the law of yoharah is simple. When one who is not proficient and pious in mitzvah observance attempts to perform acts which are only expected of the noble and righteous, his motives are suspect. If he would truly be circumspect in all areas of mitzvah endeavor, he would surely have adopted a fundamental level of religious observance. The fact that he has not conformed to the basics raise the specters of religious exhibitionism and false pride. Such a person actually denigrates mitzvos. Hashem’s ordinances are not meant to be vehicles for one’s ego trips or the pursuit of one’s personal agenda. The value of mitzvos should be determined by their intrinsic worth rather than by their extrinsic allure.
