To those who love Me (Exodus 20:6): this is Abraham and those like him. And to those who keep My commandments (Exodus 20:6): these are the prophets and the elders. Rabbi Natan says: To those who love Me and keep My commandments, these are the ones who dwell in the Land of Israel and give their lives for the commandments. Why are you going out to be killed? Because I circumcised my son. Why are you going out to be burned? Because I read in the Torah. Why are you going out to be impaled? Because I ate unleavened bread. Why are you being given a hundred lashes with the whip? Because I took up the lulav. And it says, those with which I was wounded in the house of my lovers (Zechariah 13:6): these wounds caused me to be loved by my Father in heaven.
Those Who Love Me and Keep My Commandments
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 292:2
לְאֹהֲבַי, זֶה אַבְרָהָם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ. וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי, אֵלּוּ הַנְּבִיאִים וְהַזְּקֵנִים. רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר, לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי, אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנוֹתְנִים נַפְשָׁם עַל כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, מַה לְּךָ יוֹצֵא לֵהָרֵג, עַל שֶׁמָּלְתִי אֶת בְּנִי, מַה לְּךָ יוֹצֵא לִשָּׂרֵף, עַל שֶׁקָּרִיתִי בַּתּוֹרָה, מַה לְּךָ יוֹצֵא לִצָּלֵב, עַל שֶׁאָכַלְתִּי מַצָּה, מַה לְּךָ לוֹקֵחַ מֵאָה פַּרְגּוֹל, עַל שֶׁנָּטַלְתִּי אֶת הַלּוּלָב. וְאוֹמֵר "אֲשֶׁר הֻכֵּיתִי בֵּית מְאַהֲבַי", הַמַּכּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה גָּרְמוּ לִי לֶאֱהֹב לְאָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם.