VaEtchanan: Serving God with Love

[Chanan Morrison]

VaEtchanan: Serving God with Love

"You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deut. 6:5).

A Parable of Two Friends

Two friends, both well-dressed, but what a difference! Jack works in a high-profile position in a prestigious firm. He has a well-stocked wardrobe, yet he does not derive much pleasure from his many suits. Jack would prefer to go around in a casual shirts and blue jeans, but he knows that if he didn't wear the finest suits and the smartest ties, he could end up losing his job.

Charles, on the other, loves the feel and look of elegant clothing. His closet is filled with dozens of fancy suits, ties, fine shirts and dress shoes. Charles loves shopping for new clothes and wearing the latest style.

While both friends wear expensive clothing, we can see clearly the difference in their attitudes towards clothes if they were to meet a famous clothes designer.

Jack, who wears fancy clothes only because his job, will feel a certain sense of resentment when meeting the designer. If the designer had not invented these clothes, there would be no need to buy them and wear them!

But Charles would be excited and even grateful to have the opportunity to meet the person who designed such wonderful garments. For Charles, this person enabled him express himself with beautiful clothes.


Love and Fear

The difference between Jack and Charles is the difference between one who serves God out of fear and one who serves God with love.

Those whose service is based on Yirah, fear of Heaven, will feel a certain resentment that they must carry the burden of Torah and mitzvot. Like Jack and his business suits, they keep mitzvot out of a sense of duty and obligation. They want to do the right thing, but they would be happier if there were fewer rules and laws.

But those who serve God with love perform mitzvot with a sincere feeling of gratitude. They are delighted with the opportunity to fulfill God's Will, and are appreciative of each mitzvah. They see mitzvot as a way to connect to God, a vehicle that enables their inner soul express its love for its Creator.

Rav Huna taught that a scholar who fails to recite a blessing before studying Torah will not merit children who are Torah scholars. Why is this?

When we recite a blessing before Torah study, we indicate our appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to study God's Torah and perform His mitzvot. Only a person with this positive attitude will be successful in passing on these values to the next generation.


Adapted from Meshalim Ve-gam Sipurim Le-no'ar ule-kol Bet Yisra'el, p. 57

http://parsha-story.blogspot.co.il/2010/07/vaetchanan-serving-g-d-with-love.html