Pemikiran Yahudi Ulangan 6:5: Netivot Olam, Yesod Mora VeSod HaTorah, Duties & Akeidat Yitzchak

However it appears from the words of the sages that the love that a person has for his Creator is from another angle. And that is that which they said in the chapter [entitled] HaRoeh (Berakhot 61b), "When they took Rabbi Akiva out to be executed, it was time for the recitation of Shema. And they were raking his flesh with iron combs, and he intended to accept upon himself the yoke of Heaven [by reciting Shema]. His students said to him, 'Our teacher, even now?' He said to them, 'All my days I have been troubled by the verse, with all your soul (Deuteronomy 6:5), [meaning] even if God takes your soul. I said, "When will it come to me to fulfill it?" Now that it has come to me, shall I not fulfill it?' He prolonged [the word], One until his soul departed with One. A voice descended from heaven and said, 'Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva, that your soul left with One.'" But now it will be difficult to you: How did Rabbi Akiva fulfill loving God, may He be blessed, with all of his heart and all of his soul through that which he prolonged, One, until his soul departed with One? However, this thing is because the love that a person has towards God, may He be blessed, is from that which a person is nothing from the angle of himself, but rather is only coming from God, may He be blessed, and returns to Him, since everything returns to Him, may He blessed, and there is nothing besides God, may He be blessed. So He is One, and there is nothing besides Him. And hence they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 4b-5a), "Even though one recited Shema in the synagogue, he must also recite the Shema upon his bed. [...] But if one is a Torah scholar, he need not [recite it. Nevertheless] he must recite at least one verse of prayer, [such as,] Into Your hand I deposit my spirit (Psalms 31:6)." Yet it is implied that if one recites Shema — meaning, Listen Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One — he does not have to say, Into Your hand I deposit my spirit. But when did he say, Into Your hand I deposit my spirit? However, it is this thing — that he said, the Lord is One, that He, may He be blessed, is One, and there is none besides Him. And from the angle that He, may He be blessed, is One, and there is none besides Him, everything returns to Him. And through this, His soul returns to God, may He be blessed. So [through this] he deposits his soul in God's hands, may He be blessed. And that is why Rabbi Akiva prolonged One until his soul departed. As it is because He, may He be blessed, is One, that the soul returns to Him, may He be blessed. So when he prolonged One until his soul departed, his soul completely returned to God, may He be blessed, in that He is One. And it is from this angle that love is found. And that is why it stated, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God, etc. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Since from the angle that He, may He be blessed, is One, there is nothing in existence in the world that is separate from Him, as everything is dependent upon, and clinging to, Him, may He be blessed. For He, may He be blessed, is the essence of everything. And that is why love is fitting towards God, may He be blessed; and love is more fitting towards God, may He be blessed, than love with other things. For even if they cling to one another, any love that there is between lovers is nevertheless [attenuated by there being] a separate existence to each one. But with the love of God, may He be blessed, it is [otherwise,] since a person completely returns his spirit and his soul to Him to the point that there is no individual existence for the person, and he is thereby completely clinging to Him. This is as it is written, to love the Lord your God and to cling to Him (Deuteronomy 11:22). So because of this, complete love is fitting. And it is like Rabbi Akiva said, "All my days I have been troubled by the verse, And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul (Deuteronomy 6:5). Now that it has come to me, shall I not fulfill it?" For this is complete love; when one gives up his life to the Lord. As with this, he clings to Him completely. And that is the essence of love. So it has been clarified to you that love is more fitting towards God, may He be blessed, in that man gives up his life to God, may He be blessed, and completely clings to Him. And that is true love.

"And there are others whose wisdom lies in the intricacies of language, knowing the grammar rules, their divisions, the serving and root letters, the names and verbs, those that stand alone and those that are derived in various ways. They understand the nuances of pronunciation, the meanings of words, and how actions are connected. Truly, it is a splendid wisdom, for its possessors know how to speak with clarity in writing or in poetic form. Many nuances are explicitly derived from the structure of language, such as the commandment 'Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18), which does not include the word 'את' as it appears in the commandment 'Love the Lord your God' (Deuteronomy 6:5), and the faithful testimony that is written concerning the stranger, 'You shall love him as yourself' (Leviticus 19:34), without adding 'the stranger' as it appears in 'Love your neighbor' (Deuteronomy 10:19). The reason for this is deeply rooted, as explained in its proper context. The truth is that it is good for the discerning one to study this wisdom, but not to immerse oneself in it day after day, reading the books of Rabbi Yehuda the Meticulous, the first book of Rabbi Marinus, and the twenty-two books of Rabbi Samuel the Nagid. Regarding such endeavors, Solomon said, 'Of making many books there is no end' (Ecclesiastes 12:12)."

On this matter the wise man alluded to in saying: "a bundle of myrrh is my beloved unto me, between my breasts he shall rest" (Shir Hashirim 1:13), which our sages expounded this verse saying: "even though my beloved is causing me pain and bitterness like myrrh, 'He rests between my breasts' " (Shabbat 88b) . Similarly the prophet (Moshe) said: "And you shall love the L-ord your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Devarim 6:5).