152 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, Va'etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11), Source Book Keys, TZADIK DEUTERONOMY | 6:5 love — DEUT213 He who serves out of love occupies himsel... DEUT213 He who serves out of love occupies himself with Torah and mitzvos and walks in the path of wisdom for no worldly reward whatsoever, nor from fear of evil or expectation of good, but he pursues the truth because it is true, the good coming in its wake. This quality is an extremely exalted one, to which not every Sage can attain. It is the quality of Avraham our father, whom the Holy One Blessed be He called "my friend" (Yeshayahu 41:8), for he served only out of love. And it is the quality commanded us by God, through Moshe our teacher, may peace be upon him [this verse]. When one loves the Blessed One as he should, he will immediately perform all mitzvos out of love. And what is the requisite love? It is loving Hashem with such an exceedingly great, intense love that one's soul is completely bound up in it so that he is constantly driven by it as one who is love-sick for a woman and constantly driven by love for her, even when he is sitting, standing, eating, and drinking. Even more than this will love of Hashem fill the hearts of His lovers, who will be consumed by it constantly, as we have been commanded, "With all your heart and with all your soul.…" This is what King Shelomo intended in his analogy (Shir HaShirim 2:5): " For I am sick with love," and the entire Shir HaShirim is an analogy to love of Hashem. (Continued at [[DEUT207]] Deuteronomy 6:5 love TZADIK 129). Share Print Source KeyTZADIKVerse6:5Keyword(s)loveSource Page(s)127-9 Switch article DEUTERONOMY | 6:5 love — DEUT207 (Continued from [[DEUT213]] Deuteronomy 6... Previous Article DEUTERONOMY | 6:5 love — DEUT220 Love includes more acts than any of the o... Next Article