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)