The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a stunningly beautiful and profoundly challenging answer.
It starts with the familiar verse, "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d." But then it takes a turn. The Sifrei doesn't just leave it at that warm, fuzzy feeling. It asks: How do you make G-d beloved by all people? It’s not just about your own personal devotion. It’s about making the Divine attractive, appealing, even irresistible to everyone you meet. How do you even begin to do that?
The text offers a powerful example: our father Abraham. Remember the verse in Genesis (12:5) that mentions "the souls that they had made in Charan"? It's a curious phrase, isn't it? Did Abraham and Sarah literally create people? The Sifrei Devarim tells us, absolutely not! I mean, if all of humanity got together they couldn't even make a mosquito. So what's going on?
The answer is transformative. Abraham and Sarah didn't create people in the literal sense. Instead, they converted them. They drew them away from idol worship and brought them "under the wings of the Shechinah" – the Divine Presence. Through their actions, through their kindness and their unwavering belief, they made G-d more accessible, more understandable, more lovable to those around them.
That's the key. Loving G-d isn't just about personal piety. It's about being a living embodiment of G-d's values in the world. It's about acting in ways that inspire others to seek out the Divine for themselves. It's about making G-d beloved by all.
And then the Sifrei adds another layer, addressing the very nature of our own internal struggles. How are we to love G-d "with all your heart"? The text clarifies: "with both of your inclinations, the good and the evil." This, perhaps, is the most challenging part of all.
The yetzer hara, the evil inclination, and the yetzer hatov, the good inclination – these are the forces that constantly battle within us. The struggle is real. It's not about pretending that the negative impulses don't exist. It’s not about denying the darkness within. It’s about harnessing all of your energy, even the energy of your darker impulses, and directing it towards love of G-d.
Think of it like this: the yetzer hara can be a powerful engine. It can drive ambition, creativity, even a fierce desire for justice. The trick is to channel that energy, to refine it, to use it for good. Loving G-d with all your heart means embracing the totality of your being – the light and the shadow – and dedicating it to a higher purpose. As the Rabbis teach, we must strive to transform the darkness into light.
So, the next time you recite the Shema, consider the implications of those simple words. Loving G-d is a lifelong journey, a constant process of self-reflection, and an unwavering commitment to making the world a more loving and just place. It's about following in the footsteps of Abraham and Sarah, drawing others closer to the Divine. And it's about embracing the entirety of your own complex, imperfect heart and using it to serve something greater than yourself. What could be a more beautiful calling?