God, Jew and Love in Yahadut What role does love play in our relationship with God?

ByDodie Weinberg

Reciprocity of Love Between Jew and God in Texts

דברים ו׳:ה׳

(ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 6:5

(5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

ירמיהו ב׳:ב׳

(ב) הָלֹ֡ךְ וְקָֽרָאתָ֩ בְאָזְנֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה זָכַ֤רְתִּי לָךְ֙ חֶ֣סֶד נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ אַהֲבַ֖ת כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ לֶכְתֵּ֤ךְ אַחֲרַי֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א זְרוּעָֽה׃

Jeremiah 2:2

(2) Go proclaim to Jerusalem: Thus said the LORD: I accounted to your favor The devotion of your youth, Your love as a bride— How you followed Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.

תהילים קי״ט:י׳

(י) בְּכָל־לִבִּ֥י דְרַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ אַל־תַּ֝שְׁגֵּ֗נִי מִמִּצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃

Psalms 119:10

(10) I have turned to You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commandments.

בראשית ד׳:כ״ה

(כה) וַיֵּ֨דַע אָדָ֥ם עוֹד֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵׁ֑ת כִּ֣י שָֽׁת־לִ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ זֶ֣רַע אַחֵ֔ר תַּ֣חַת הֶ֔בֶל כִּ֥י הֲרָג֖וֹ קָֽיִן׃

Genesis 4:25

(25) Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, meaning, “God has provided me with another offspring in place of Abel,” for Cain had killed him.

Reciprocity of Love Between Jew and God in Jewish History

שיר השירים ב׳:י״ד

(יד) יוֹנָתִ֞י בְּחַגְוֵ֣י הַסֶּ֗לַע בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה הַרְאִ֙ינִי֙ אֶתּ־מַרְאַ֔יִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖ינִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑ךְ כִּי־קוֹלֵ֥ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ נָאוֶֽה׃ (ס)

Song of Songs 2:14

(14) “O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks, Hidden by the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet And your face is comely.”

רש"י על שיר השירים ב׳:י״ד:א׳

(א) יוֹנָתִי בְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶּלַע. זֶה נֶאֱמַר עַל אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה שֶׁרָדַף פַּרְעֹה אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְהִשִׂיגָם חוֹנִים עַל הַיָּם, וְאֵין מָקוֹם לָנוּס לִפְנֵיהֶם מִפְּנֵי הַיָּם, וְלֹא לְהִפָּנוֹת מִפְּנֵי חַיּוֹת רָעוֹת. לְמָה הָיוּ דוֹמִין בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה? לְיוֹנָה שֶׁבּוֹרַחַת מִפְּנֵי הַנֵּץ וְנִכְנְסָה בִנְקִיקֵי הַסְּלָעִים, וְהָיָה הַנָּחָשׁ נוֹשֵׁף בָּהּ. תִּכָּנֵס לִפְנִים, הֲרֵי הַנָּחָשׁ, תֵּצֵא לַחוּץ, הֲרֵי הַנֵּץ. אָמַר לָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: "הַרְאִינִי אֶת מַרְאַיִךְ", אֶת כִּשְׁרוֹן פְּעֻלָּתֵךְ, לְמִי אַתְּ פּוֹנָה בְּעֵת צָרָה:

Rashi on Song of Songs 2:14:1

(1) My dove, in the clefts of the rock. This is said regarding the time when Pharaoh pursued them and overtook them camping by the sea. With no place to escape in front of them because of the sea, and they could not turn to the side because of wild beasts. What did they resemble at that time? A dove that was fleeing from a hawk and entered the clefts of the rocks, where a snake was hissing at her. Should she enter inside, there was the snake; should she go outside, there was the hawk. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, said to her [Yisroel], “Show Me your countenance,” [i.e.,] the quality of your deeds, to whom you turn in time of distress.

שיר השירים ה׳:ב׳

(ב) אֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר ק֣וֹל ׀ דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק פִּתְחִי־לִ֞י אֲחֹתִ֤י רַעְיָתִי֙ יוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי֙ נִמְלָא־טָ֔ל קְוֻּצּוֹתַ֖י רְסִ֥יסֵי לָֽיְלָה׃

Song of Songs 5:2

(2) I was asleep, But my heart was wakeful. Hark, my beloved knocks! “Let me in, my own, My darling, my faultless dove! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of night.”

רש"י על שיר השירים ה׳:ב׳:א׳

(א) אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה. כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי שְׁלֵוָה וּשְׁקֵטָה בְּבַיִת רִאשׁוֹן, נוֹאַשְׁתִּי מֵעֲבֹד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּישֵׁנָה וְנִרְדָּמֶת:

Rashi on Song of Songs 5:2:1

(1) I slept. When I was confident and calm in the first Beis Hamikdosh, I despaired of worshiping the Holy One, Blessed Is He, as one who slumbers and falls fast asleep.

רש"י על שיר השירים ה׳:ב׳:ד׳

(ד) קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק. מַשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל הַנְּבִיאִים וּמַזְהִיר עַל יְדֵיהֶם הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלוֹחַ:

Rashi on Song of Songs 5:2:4

(4) A sound! My beloved knocks. He rests His Divine Presence upon the prophets and He warns through them by, “rising early and sending forth.”¹¹Yirmiyahum 7:25.

'Six Knocks,' and a Seventh, Jerusalem Post

The Rav referred to a tragic parable in the Song of Songs in which a lover knocks on his beloved’s door one night, but she tells him she is tired and he should come back the next day. When he does not return, she searches for him but realizes that he is gone forever and that she has missed her chance for love. Today, when Jews in Israel are threatened by many enemies throughout the world, even assisted by some Jews, the Rav urges us to ignore their message of despair, self-doubt and defeatism.

The Everyday Intensity of Love between Jew and God

דברים ו׳:ו׳

(ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 6:6

(6) Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.

שיר השירים ו׳:ב׳

(ב) דּוֹדִי֙ יָרַ֣ד לְגַנּ֔וֹ לַעֲרוּג֖וֹת הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם לִרְעוֹת֙ בַּגַּנִּ֔ים וְלִלְקֹ֖ט שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃

Song of Songs 6:2

(2) My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To browse in the gardens And to pick lilies.

שיר השירים רבה ו׳:ב׳:א׳

(א) דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ לַעֲרֻגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה לֹא רֹאשׁוֹ סוֹפוֹ וְלֹא סוֹפוֹ רֹאשׁוֹ, לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ קְרָא לְמֵימַר אֶלָּא דּוֹדִי יָרַד לִרְעוֹת בְּגַנּוֹ, וְאַתְּ אָמַר לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים. אֶלָּא דּוֹדִי, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. לְגַנּוֹ, זֶה הָעוֹלָם. לַעֲרֻגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים, אֵלּוּ בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת. וְלִלְקֹט שׁוֹשַׁנִּים, לְסַלֵּק אֶת הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:2:1

...

משנה תורה, הלכות תשובה י׳:ג׳

(ג) וְכֵיצַד הִיא הָאַהֲבָה הָרְאוּיָה. הוּא שֶׁיֹּאהַב אֶת ה' אַהֲבָה גְּדוֹלָה יְתֵרָה עַזָּה מְאֹד עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא נַפְשׁוֹ קְשׁוּרָה בְּאַהֲבַת ה' וְנִמְצָא שׁוֹגֶה בָּהּ תָּמִיד כְּאִלּוּ חוֹלֶה חֳלִי הָאַהֲבָה שֶׁאֵין דַּעְתּוֹ פְּנוּיָה מֵאַהֲבַת אוֹתָהּ אִשָּׁה וְהוּא שׁוֹגֶה בָּהּ תָּמִיד בֵּין בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ בֵּין בְּקוּמוֹ בֵּין בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה. יֶתֶר מִזֶּה תִּהְיֶה אַהֲבַת ה' בְּלֵב אוֹהֲבָיו שׁוֹגִים בָּהּ תָּמִיד כְּמוֹ שֶׁצִּוָּנוּ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ. וְהוּא שֶׁשְּׁלֹמֹה אָמַר דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל (שיר השירים ב ה) "כִּי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי". וְכָל שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים מָשָׁל הוּא לְעִנְיָן זֶה:

Mishneh Torah, Repentance 10:3

(3) And what is the proper love? He shall love the Lord with an exceeding great and very strong love so that his soul be tied to the love of the Lord, finding himself in a constant tremor, as if he were suffering of lovesickness, when his mind is free because of love for that woman, being continuously agitated about her, whether he sitting down, or whether he is standing up, even when he is eating and drinking. More than this should the love for the Lord be in the heart of those who love him, meditating therein constantly, even as He commanded us: "With all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Ibid.). This is what Solomon allegorically said: "For I am love-sick" (Songs 2.5). And, the whole book, Song of Songs, is an allegory on this subject.

Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl

A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth —that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way—an honourable way— in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment.