DEUT240 And you shall Love the Lord your God … with all your might – that is, with all your material possessions. Rashi on Deuteronomy 6:5

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DEUT242 What is the intent of "with all your might"? With all your wealth. Another interpretation: "with all your might" [meodecha] -- For every measure [middah (suggested by "meodecha")] that He metes out to you [good or evil], thank Him [modeh lo] (Berachoth 54a)

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DEUT243 See [[GEN193]] Genesis 1:31 very FREUND 176-7

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DEUT245 While it appears that Judaism frowns upon self-sacrifice for the sake of the other, it does elevate two values above the worth of the individual human being. Self-preservation is not the supreme law in Judaism. "There are reasons for life more vital than living" (Leon Roth, Judaism: A Portrait (New York: Viking, 1961) p. 68). These values are God and the collectivity of Israel, called Kelal Yisrael. God, of course, ranks higher than human life. Theoretically, the love and devotion that man owes his creator should include a readiness to serve Him with one's very life. "'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul…' Even if He takes your soul" [this verse; see Rashi]. This was implied in the command to Abraham to sacrifice "his only son whom he loves" to God and is the underlying thought behind the symbolism of the Temple service involving animal sacrifice.

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DEUT244 - even if He takes your soul -- whence it was derived: one must bless [The Lord] for the evil just as he blesses Him For the good. (Berachoth 54b)

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DEUT248 See [[EXOD354]] Exodus 20:2 other DUTIES 63-7

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DEUT249 See [[NUM190]] Numbers 15:39 remember DUTIES 777-9

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DEUT246 Defining the nature of God or of human beings was not a preoccupation of the talmudic rabbis. Their major concern was how to fulfill the will of God. For them, the divine will was conveyed by God through revelation. The commandments of the Torah articulate the will of God. One of those commandments is "You shall love the Lord your God." "How does one love God?," asks the Sifre, an early rabbinic midrash. The answer: "Perform [God's commandments] out of love." The text continues: "And these words which I [God] command you this day shall be upon your heart" [this verse] Rabbi [Judah the Prince] asked: Why did Moses say this? Because Scripture says, "You shall love the Lord your God" [Deuteronomy 6:5]. [From this verse alone] I do not know just how to love God. Therefore, Scripture goes on to say, "And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart," meaning, take these words to heart, for thereby you will recognize Him who spoke in the world came into being, and you will cleave to His ways. Sifre on Deuteronomy, Louis Finkelstein, Ed., paras. 32-33, pp. 54-59.

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DEUT247 Rabbi Simeon said: Be careful about reciting the Sh'ma and about the prayer [of sh'moneh esreh];… Pirkei Avot, Perek II, mishnah 18; His teacher, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, described Rabbi Simeon as a man "afraid of sin." In Judaism, we know, the "fear of sin" is considered one of the highest religious virtues. Many people, however, while ostensibly religious, practice the art of "brinkmanship." They are forever walking the narrow ledge that borders on sin. They go about and do things which, strictly speaking, cannot be considered sinful in themselves; but to do such things and yet not sin ultimately, one must either be made of iron or have phenomenal luck. Now, if a person truly believed, he would not take such chances. You do not go near a high-voltage wire if you know it can electrocute you. We know the teaching of the Talmud that to recite the Sh'ma is a most important and effective way of combating the yetzer hara, overcoming the temptation to sin (T.B. Berakoth 5a). Therefore, urges Rabbi Simeon, be most scrupulous in reciting the Sh'ma, for only when it is said with proper comprehension and concentration can it have its profound effect. The Sh'ma itself states the goal to which every Jew should aspire as he recites its sacred text: "And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart" [this verse]. Let these words, all the words of the Torah, penetrate the depths of your heart, that they may become a formative, integral part of the character.… When you recite the Sh'ma, says Rabbi Simeon, be most careful, take pains to make the words part of your very being.

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DEUT252 The goal of learning in Judaism is not merely to understand the ideas and concepts of the Torah. The purpose of learning is both to teach others and to use the learning to affect Jewish behavior. The Mishnah (Avot 4:5) says that if a person learns only for the sake of teaching, he will be granted by Heaven only the means to both learn and teach. He who learns in order to practice will be granted the opportunity to learn, teach, and, in addition, to practice and perform. The Torah speaks only about teaching (Torah and/or Judaism) to one's children [this verse and Deuteronomy 11:9) not to learn oneself (that reference comes much later in Joshua 1:8). Maimonides (Hilchot Talmud Torah 1:1 and 1:3) begins his chapters about learning Torah (after stating who is exempt) with the obligation to teach, not to learn. Two paragraphs later, he discusses the obligation and conditions for hiring a teacher. Based on the verse in Proverbs (7:26), the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 19b) deprecates someone who can teach but chooses not to. The Mishnah (Avot 1:13) also says someone who refuses to teach deserves death. On the other hand, Rabbi Joshua Ben Gamla is referred to as "remembered for good" (just as Elijah is) because he set up a Jewish school system, guaranteeing education to all children. It also says (Bava Batra 8b) that teachers are the "stars" of the Jewish people and that they do righteous behaviors for the community. Similarly, anyone who learns Torah without intention to put the learning into practice is looked down upon in Judaism. The midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 35:7) says that if a person only learns and does not do, it is better that he or she should not have been born. The Mishnah says (Avot 1:17) that the main thing in Judaism is the action, not the learning.

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