EXOD919 When one hears chastisement from the wise and from those who reprove him, his heart should be aroused to repent and he should accept upon himself all the words of rebuke. When he does so, this man achieves great merit, and in a moment he goes from darkness to a great light, and receives reward and merit for all the mitzvos and chastisement, for having resolved in his heart to take them upon himself. Fortunate is this accepter, who has achieved merit in a moment. In this connection our Sages of blessed memory have said (Mechilta Shemos 12:28, regarding the Pesach sacrifice): "'And the Children of Israel went and did so' -- Now did they do so immediately? Did they not do so only upon the fourteenth of the month? But since they took it upon themselves to do so, the Torah accredits it to them as if they had done so immediately." And they said further (Avos 3:9): "One whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures, as it is written [this verse]: 'We shall do and we shall hear' (Avos d'Rabbi Nasan 22:1). That is, when one takes it upon himself in faithfulness of heart to observe and do all that is stated in the Torah, and to carry out what the Sages tell him, and, after having taken it upon himself to fulfill everything, seeks, and inquires, and asks of the Sages what to do--such a man receives reward even for those mitzvos and admonitions of which he is unaware, having resolved in his heart to fulfill them. This corresponds to Israel's declaring at Sinai: "We shall do and we shall hear," placing doing before hearing (Shabbos 88a). It is not conceivable otherwise that one's deeds could exceed his wisdom.