It's found in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 13:5: "After the L-rd your G-d shall you go."
Sounds straightforward. But what does it actually mean to "go after" God? After all, God isn't exactly strolling down Main Street. This is where the rabbinic interpretations step in and illuminate the path.
Sifrei Devarim 85, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, identifies this verse as a mitzvah aseh – a positive commandment. Okay, but still… how do we do it?
The rabbis didn't leave us hanging. They understood that "going after God" isn't about physically chasing after the Divine. It’s about emulating God’s attributes. It's about embodying the qualities we associate with the Divine in our own lives. What are some of those qualities? Kindness? Compassion? Justice? Mercy? These are all attributes that tradition ascribes to God. So, "going after God" means striving to embody these values in our everyday actions. When we act with kindness, when we pursue justice, when we show compassion – we're essentially walking in God's footsteps. We are, in a very real sense, "going after God."
It’s a lifelong journey, not a destination. We’re not expected to become perfect overnight. The point is the striving, the intention, the conscious effort to align our actions with those divine attributes.
So, next time you’re faced with a challenging decision, ask yourself: What would a compassionate person do? What would a just person do? What would a kind person do? Answering those questions, and acting accordingly, is how we truly “go after the L-rd your G-d." And it's a commandment that resonates just as powerfully today as it did thousands of years ago.