All Encompassing Love (adapted from Rabbi N. Silberberg)
"You shall love G‑d” – Deutoronomy 6:5
Whether it’s on the east coast (where I am spending this Shabbat with Fruma and the family) or on the west coast, this instruction – to love G‑d – will be read aloud from the Torah tomorrow morning in synagogues around the world.
We relate to G‑d on many levels and one of them is through love. In classic Jewish literature, this relationship is portrayed with the husband-wife metaphor; a relationship characterized by passionate love.
Love itself is an intangible quality. It's not what the other person does for you; it's the sentiment which is behind the act, the feeling which is the motivation for the deed. It's the life behind the relationship. There can be two married couples, both of whom "go through the motions" and daily grind of marriage — but one couple shares a spark which is conspicuously absent by the other
Yet the acts which express the love cannot be underestimated. Feelings of love cannot exist in a vacuum. They must be translated into deeds. "But I love you, isn't that all that matters?" is not an appropriate response when your spouse reminds you that you once again "forgot" to call to say you'll be at work late. "I love you, honey, but I'll let you clean up after dinner tonight," earns a quick ticket to the doghouse.
Why is a transcendent feeling like love so contingent on actions? While the question may sound profoundly philosophical, the answer is quite simple.
If love is complete it consumes the entirety of the person. It cannot be relegated to any single aspect of one's personality — not even the totality of one's feelings and emotions. Love means being all-there for the one you cherish. Only when love translates into actions — when it is expressed by the eyes and the mouth and the hands and the feet — is it all-encompassing and complete.
And so, as we read the words “You shall love G‑d” this Shabbat let us bear in mind that if our love for G‑d is real and true it needs to be expressed in everyday action. It's not enough for us to have a "good Jewish heart" – our nose, stomach, arms, and legs also need to be Jewish.
Shabbat Shalom from NY,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
