RAV KOOK ON Va'etchanan: Part 2 Loving God With All Your Might
“You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:5)
What does it mean to love God bechol me'odecha — “with all your might"? The Talmud offers two explanations for this phrase.
Thankfulness, Even in Misfortune
The first explanation is that, in every situation (midah) that God places us, we should sincerely thank (modeh) Him. From here we learn that one should recite a blessing over bad news as well as good news. When hearing about death, financial loss, or other tragedies, we need to acknowledge that God is the true Judge.
How is it possible to thank God for tragedy? And why is this a form of loving God?
A self-centered individual will look at all circumstances only in the context of his own narrow interests. From this viewpoint, good and bad are measured purely by selfish criteria.
However, the individual who can internalize the dictates of his intellect, and who loves that which his mind tells him to love, will have a drastically different outlook on good and bad. Happiness and pleasure are not limited to how events affect him or his immediate surroundings. As a result of his love of the Infinite, he judges every situation, every circumstance, in terms of the klal — the community, the nation, the universe, all of creation, and beyond.
In the overall picture, evil does not exist. What appears to be evil and bad in a narrow outlook, will ultimately result in greater good in the broader view. If we live our lives in accordance with this insight, we will understand that while a certain situation may be difficult on a personal level, our private suffering enables positive repercussions for the klal.
“You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:5)
What does it mean to love God bechol me'odecha — “with all your might"? The Talmud offers two explanations for this phrase.
Thankfulness, Even in Misfortune
The first explanation is that, in every situation (midah) that God places us, we should sincerely thank (modeh) Him. From here we learn that one should recite a blessing over bad news as well as good news. When hearing about death, financial loss, or other tragedies, we need to acknowledge that God is the true Judge.
How is it possible to thank God for tragedy? And why is this a form of loving God?
A self-centered individual will look at all circumstances only in the context of his own narrow interests. From this viewpoint, good and bad are measured purely by selfish criteria.
However, the individual who can internalize the dictates of his intellect, and who loves that which his mind tells him to love, will have a drastically different outlook on good and bad. Happiness and pleasure are not limited to how events affect him or his immediate surroundings. As a result of his love of the Infinite, he judges every situation, every circumstance, in terms of the klal — the community, the nation, the universe, all of creation, and beyond.
In the overall picture, evil does not exist. What appears to be evil and bad in a narrow outlook, will ultimately result in greater good in the broader view. If we live our lives in accordance with this insight, we will understand that while a certain situation may be difficult on a personal level, our private suffering enables positive repercussions for the klal.
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