Q&A: The Commandment to Love God
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Commandment to Love God
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Maybe you’ve already written about this, and I’d be happy for a reference.
I wanted to know what this commandment means.
1. How can you tell a person to love someone? The Rabbi raises this difficulty regarding belief in the Creator, according to Maimonides, since it is a commandment. Does the same difficulty exist here, or can a person perhaps work on it—for example, by thinking about the good things, etc., and then come to love?
2. What does it mean on the emotional/practical plane? I understand how to love a wife / children / friends. How can one love someone transcendent?
Thanks in advance
Answer
- In my view, one can. I do not accept this well-known question. The issue is whether there is value in emotions, irrespective of commandments. See Column 22 and the article I linked to there.
- The intention is not necessarily the emotion of love. See there.