Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Awit 34:9

Perhaps our verse intends to arouse in us three distinct kinds of love for G'd which G'd's creatures are familiar with. They are: 1) Loving Him for His goodness (spiritually speaking); 2) Loving Him for the pleasant sensation this affords us; 3) Loving Him because He is so useful to us. The words ואהבת את השם speak of love for what is good, G'd Himself being described as "good" in Psalms 145,9 טוב ה׳ לכל. The mystical dimension of loving G'd for the pleasant sensations He affords us is referred to in Psalms 34,9: "taste and see how good the Lord is;" The Psalmist means that amongst all the pleasant sensations a creature may experience none is comparable to contemplation of the goodness of G'd and of His name. The proof for this is Song of Songs 5,6 נפשי יצאה בדברו, "my soul departed when He spoke." When the pious die a death which is totally painless, such as the death by a kiss of G'd experienced by Moses and Aaron, this is the most pleasant sensation imaginable. So far we have heard that the word י־ה־ו־ה alludes to both spiritual goodness and the most sublime sensation a creature is capable of experiencing at the hand of G'd. The love of the useful which G'd represents is alluded to in the word אלוקיך, as we have defined this already in connection with Psalms 22,4. We have learned in Shabbat 30 that the last words in Kohelet 12 כי זה כל האדם "for this is what man is all about" refer to the whole world being created only for the sake of man observing G'd's commandments on earth. Loving G'd and fulfilling His commandments then is love of a most useful kind.

The wording may also contain a promise by G'd that once the Israelites would make the initial effort to listen to G'd's commandments, שמוע, then the way would be paved for them to not only listen but to await further commandments by G'd, i.e. תשמעון. This is analogous to what we read in Psalms 34,9 טעמו וראו כי טוב השם, "taste and see how good the Lord is."

The Torah singles out such a person for worse punishment than that in store for people who accepted the covenant but who violate it from time to time.