DEUT131 See [[DEUT40]] Deuteronomy 4:6 proof OXFORD 40

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DEUT132 The true worship of God its only possible when correct notions of Him have previously been conceived. When you have arrived by way of intellectual research at a knowledge of God and His works, then commence to devote yourselves to Him, try to approach Him and strengthen the intellect, which is the link that joins you to Him. Thus Scripture says, "Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the Lord He is God" (this verse); Know therefore this day, and considerate in thine heart, that the He is God" (Deuteronomy 4:36). "Know Ye that the Lord is God." (Psalm 100:3) Thus the Law distinctly states that the highest kind of worship, to which we refer in this chapter, is only possible after the acquisition of knowledge of God. For it is said, "To love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul"; (Deuteronomy 11:13); and, as we have shown several times, man's love of God is identical with his knowledge of Him. The Divine Service enjoined in these words must, accordingly, be preceded by the love of God. Our Sages have pointed out to us that it is a service in the heart, which explanation I understand to mean this: man concentrates all his thoughts on the First Intellect, and is absorbed in these thoughts as much as possible. (Maimonides).

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DEUT133 See [[EXOD207]] Exodus 14:31 power DUTIES 217

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DEUT134 See [[DEUT132]] Deuteronomy 4:35 showed AGUS 138

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DEUT135 God's relationship with Israel is grounded in mutual love, which provides a basis for covenantal loyalty. God's love for Israel is declared in Deuteronomy (this verse, 7:13, 10:15, 23:6) but also in the prophetic books (Isaiah 43:4, Jeremiah 31:3, Hosea 11:1). Deuteronomy exhorts Israel to love God, most notably in the passage later called the Shema, or Jewish profession of faith (6:5), but also elsewhere (10:12; 11:1, 13, 22; 19:9; 30:16, 20). While love that can be commanded may seem strange to moderns, biblical love ('ahavah), just like "fear," is an emotion that is expressed chiefly through action. Thus Deuteronomy 10:18 extols God as one who "loves the stranger, providing him with food and clothing," and v. 19 adds, "and you should love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" and this is certainly a demand for generosity. Therefore, Deuteronomy's command to "love" God is often understood as synonymous with fidelity and obedience, and not the heartfelt affection that the word would usually connotes. However, the emotional element should probably not be minimized, as Deuteronomy 6:5 adds, "with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might," and God's "love" for Israel cannot be equated with fidelity. Deuteronomy's emphasis on gratitude certainly provides the basis for this love, externalized in adherence to God's ritual and ethical demands. (By Elaine Adler Goodfriend, “Ethical Theory and Practice in the Hebrew Bible)

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DEUT136 Everyone knows that the Bible often speaks of both loving and fearing God. There is also a third approach that biblical authors consider critical: knowing God. The prophet Ezekiel is so taken with this theme that he mentions it over sixty times. For the rabbis, the Torah itself commands this: "Know then this day, and take it to heart, that Adonai is God in the heaven above and the earth below and there is no other" [this verse]. If that sentiment sounds familiar, it is because the Hebrew is used in the summary prayer of our traditional Jewish service: Alenu leshabe'ah la-adon ha-kol. It is incumbent upon us to praise the Master of all things. The command "to know" immediately arouses our contemporary craving for precise definition, one that concisely explains what our spiritual geniuses mean by "knowing God." Unfortunately, such knowledge is not to be. When it comes to matters of belief, our teachers have discovered that religious reality is inevitably greater than any of their attempts to express them in a few pithy remarks. Thus they shift into highly symbolic rhetoric and continue to multiply the symbols in the hope that their number and variety eventually reveal what they had in mind. So it is with "knowing God."

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DEUT137 Most people need inner wisdom. Perhaps the duties of the heart are so obvious and well known to all, I thought, and people are so faithful in fulfilling them, that it was unnecessary to write a book about them. But when I made an inquiry into the conduct of previous generations as documented in written records, I found that the people were far removed from them. Only the most fervent and outstanding personalities among the people lived up to these duties, as we know from accounts of their conduct; the rest of the people, however, sorely needed guidance and instruction in this area. How much the more so in our generation! Most of the people do not take seriously the duties of the limbs, certainly not the duties of the heart. Those among the people who are drawn to Torah study aim only to be considered scholars by the common people and to be thought of as great men. They veer off the path of the Torah to [study] that which brings no excellence of character, does not correct personal faults, and ignorance of which brings no punishment, while neglecting the study of the fundamentals of the religion and the foundations of the Torah, which should not be ignored or forsaken. Without knowledge of these [fundamentals and foundations] and without practicing them, one simply cannot fulfill the commandments. Belief in the unity of God is an example: Is this something which we are obligated to investigate intellectually, or is it enough to know of it by way of tradition and declare--as the simple do--without argument or proof, that our God is one? Must we investigate the meaning of “the absolute one” and “the relative one,” in order to differentiate between this meaning and that of the other existing unities? It is forbidden for a believer to remain in ignorance of these matters, for the Torah has cautioned us in this regard, saying: “Understand it today and reflect on it in your heart: Hashem is the God in the heavens above and on the earth below” (Devarim 4:39). The same is true of the other duties of the heart which have been mentioned and which will be mentioned: the believer's faith is not complete unless he knows of them and practices them. This is the inner wisdom, which is the light of the heart and the radiance of the soul. It is this that the verse refers to, saying: “Surely You desire truth in the inward parts; teach me wisdom in my innermost being” (Tehillim 51:8).

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DEUT138 See [[DEUT874]] Deuteronomy 17:8 baffling DUTIES 27-9

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DEUT139 You must therefore apply yourself, until you come to know the truth of your Creator from the evidence of His works, not from the essence of His glory. For from the perspective of His works, He is closer than close, but in any representation of the essence of His glory or comparison with it, He is infinitely remote. From that standpoint, our minds cannot fathom Him, as we have stated. When you reach the point [where] you remove Him from your conjecture and sensations, as if He is not to be found, but in the signs of His works you find Him as though He were inseparable from you, you will then have reached the highest degree of knowledge of Him, which the prophet exhorts us to attain, saying: “Understand it today and reflect on it in your heart, Hashem is the God in the heavens above and on the earth below, there is no other” (Devarim 4:39).

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DEUT140 ... four levels of acknowledging God's unity are to be found among men, according to their different levels of understanding and insight into this concept. The first [level] is the declaration of God's unity by the tongue alone. This level is attained by the child or the simple person who has no understanding of the meaning of belief, nor is its truth fixed firmly in his heart. The second level is the acknowledgment of God's unity with the heart and tongue, based on what one has received from tradition, because he believes the person from whom he has received it. lHowever,] one does not grasp [at this level] the true meaning of the subject on the strength of one's own intellect and understanding; rather, one is like a blind man who is led by one who can see. It may happen that one receives [the tradition] from someone who, likewise, knows it only from tradition. That would resemble a string of blind men, each of whom has his hand on the shoulder of the one in front of him, until the file reaches a person endowed with sight, who is at their head and guides them. Should this guide of theirs fail them and neglect to watch over them carefully, or if one of them should stumble or suffer an accident, then all of them would be affected: they would all stray from the path and either fall into a pit or a ditch, or blunder into an obstacle that would prevent them from continuing. The same is true of one who acknowledges God’s unity because he relies on tradition. One cannot be sure that he will not embrace polytheism, for when he hears the statements and arguments of the dualists, his views might change and he might fall into error without his being aware of it. For this reason our Masters have stated: “Be diligent in the study of Torah, and know what answer to give a heretic” (Avos 2:14). The third level is the acknowledgement of God's unity with the heart and tongue after one is able to support it [the doctrine] with arguments for the truth of His existence, by way of reasoned analysis. [However,] one does not have knowledge of the meaning of “the absolute one” and “the relative one.” A person [at this level] resembles a man, endowed with sight, who, on a journey to a distant land, reaches a point in the road where it branches off into many different directions. Although he knows the general direction and location of his city of destination, he does not know which road will take him there; despite great effort on his part, he fails to reach his destination, for he does not know the way. This is like what Scripture says: “A fool wearies himself with his efforts, for he does not know how to get to the city” (Koheles 10:15). The fourth level is the acknowledgement of God's unity with the heart and tongue after one knows how to support [the doctrine] with arguments and arrive at knowledge of His true oneness by way of analysis and correct, reasonable theories. This is the highest and most accomplished level of them all, and it is this high station which the prophet urged us to attain, when he said: “Understand it today and reflect on it in your heart: Hashem is the God in the heavens above and on the earth below, there is no other” (Devarim 4:39).

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