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A way to fulfill the commandment “You shall love…”

שו”תCategory: generalA way to fulfill the commandment “You shall love…”
asked 9 years ago

Hey Miki
I continued to ponder the matter of implementing the commandment to love God, and here I came to the following insights that are based on the idea I presented to you:
We believe that God created everything – therefore the right way to express our love for God [as we are commanded] is first and foremost by giving respect to all that God has created.
And here I continue:
This implies that we should not harm anything in creation unless this harm is necessary for our existence – for example, food, housing, and so on.
And above all, we must pay attention to preventing irreversible damage!
And this inevitably implies that we must be very calculated and consider the unexpected consequences that result from seemingly simple desires, when it suddenly becomes clear to us that even simple desires have a high price beyond our means. For example, the need for birth control, the problem of environmental contamination, and especially the need to consider environmental restrictions in everything related to animal nutrition.
Perhaps it will turn out that here there is a great advantage for observant Jews – after all, they are accustomed to calculating their behavior forward from Thursday until the beginning of Shabbat, and therefore they are supposed to be accustomed to thoughtful behavior.
This matter – our duty to conduct ourselves in a calculated manner that looks ahead with caution – is also found in the definition of the accidental murderer, he is defined as such because he did not make sure – the axe blade is firmly attached to the handle.
Perhaps there is no great news here for those seeking awe in God’s love, similar to that between a young man and a young woman in love, [which stems entirely from the secretion of the hormone oxytocin], but perhaps from this we should understand that, similar to a successful relationship that is built with great effort and toil while coping with raising children and making a living and everything else, and where the bond between the couple is not at all like what it was in their youth [if it was…], then here too the shared commitment to preserving creation may not only yield the expected results from an existential and environmental perspective, but perhaps also a kind of feeling of partnership with God that comes in place of love.
So have a nice evening.
All the best


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0 Answers
מיכי Staff answered 9 years ago
I agree. I will just note that Kadima conduct is not specifically related to Shabbat. Indeed, halachic conduct is calculated and less spontaneous.

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