We say the words, of course. "V'ahavta et Adonai Elohecha b'chol l'vavcha" – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… but what does that actually look like?
Our sages wrestled with this question for centuries. How do you quantify something as vast and encompassing as divine love? Fortunately, they left us some clues.
Rabbi Meir, a brilliant voice in the Mishnah, offers a powerful interpretation in Sifrei Devarim. He breaks down the familiar verse from Deuteronomy (6:5), "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might," and connects each phrase to the lives of our patriarchs.
First, "with all your heart." Rabbi Meir says this means to love God as Abraham did. He points to the verse in Isaiah (41:8), "Avraham, My lover," and Nehemiah (9:8), "and You found his heart faithful before You." : "My lover." That's an incredibly intimate description of Abraham’s relationship with God. Abraham’s entire being was oriented toward the Divine, a constant striving to fulfill God’s will, even when it demanded immense sacrifice and unwavering faith. It was a love so profound that God Himself recognized it.
Then, "with all your soul." This, Rabbi Meir suggests, mirrors the devotion of Isaac, who offered himself – willingly – to be bound upon the altar. The Akeidah, the Binding of Isaac, is one of the most challenging and profound stories in the Torah. Isaac’s willingness to sacrifice his very life, his very essence, is the ultimate expression of love and surrender. It’s not just about obedience; it's about a complete merging of his soul with God's will. It shows us love can mean utter self-sacrifice.
And finally, "with all your might (meodecha)." Here, Rabbi Meir makes a clever connection. Meodecha, meaning "might," is linguistically linked to the word modeh, meaning "to confess" or "to acknowledge." So, he connects this phrase to Jacob, who confessed to God’s abundant kindness. Rabbi Meir finds support for this in Genesis 32:11, where Jacob says, "I am too small for all of the lovingkindness and all of the truth that You have done with Your servant. For with my staff did I cross this Jordan, and now I have become two camps."
Jacob, facing his brother Esau after years of estrangement, doesn’t boast of his accomplishments. Instead, he acknowledges his unworthiness, recognizing that everything he has is a gift from God. He is overwhelmed by God’s chesed, His lovingkindness. This act of humility, of acknowledging our dependence on the Divine, is, according to Rabbi Meir, an essential component of loving God with all our might.
So, what do we learn from this? Love for God isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action, a way of being in the world. It's about emulating the faith of Abraham, the selflessness of Isaac, and the humility of Jacob. It's a lifelong journey of striving, sacrificing, and acknowledging the Divine presence in every aspect of our lives. It’s a tall order, no doubt. But perhaps, by striving to embody these qualities, we can inch a little closer to understanding what it truly means to love God with all our heart, soul, and might.