After “Sh’ma Yisrael – Hear Israel: HaShem is our G-d, HaShem is One” (D’varim 6:4) the Torah continues, “And you shall love HaShem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with that all you have” (6:5).
But the text in the second paragraph of the Sh’ma Yisrael is different: “And it will be that if you listen to my mitzvot which I command to you today, to love HaShem your G-d and to serve Him with all your hearts and all your souls. Then I will give you rain in your land …” (11:13-14).
This is a promise that one who serves HaShem with love will be rewarded.
But in the first paragraph, the demand for love stands alone and is not linked to any reward.
Thus, there are two possible ways to understand one who serves the Creator.
One approach is to worship HaShem because He is “our G-d who is One.” To love HaShem is a natural consequence of the understanding of the words of the Sh’ma Yisrael. And that is why it is written, “with all your heart and all your soul and all that you have.”
The last word, “me’odekha,” is interpreted as meaning, “even if He takes away my money” (see the Jerusalem Talmud Brakhot 5:9). A man is ready to give up his wealth out of his great love for the Creator.
The second paragraph, by contrast, takes human weaknesses into account. A man does indeed serve HaShem out of love, but he nonetheless expects to receive a reward.
Therefore, in this second paragraph the Torah does not add the phrase, “with all that you have” after “with all your hearts and all your souls” because in this case it would not really be true. The person wants to increase the value of his possessions and not to decrease them.
As a result of these two different approaches in serving the Creator, there is also a third approach that relates to developing a love for the entire surroundings.
“‘Love HaShem’ – Cause Him to be beloved by the creatures, like our ancestor Avraham did.” (Sifri)
When a person truly recognizes that “HaShem is One,” he lights up with an inner glow that causes others to love HaShem and to say to each other: “How pleasant is this person who studied Torah, how pleasant is this person who serves HaShem…” And they all want to join in servicing the Creator.
But it’s not written that one who loves the Creator from the perspective of listening “to My mitzvot” causes others to love HaShem. Rather, he will receive a physical reward, he will “harvest grains, grapes, and olives” (11:14). His actions do not lead others to have a greater love for HaShem.
“And you shall love HaShem your G-d” is actually one of our legal sources for the mitzva of attracting gentiles to join the nation of Israel.
It is written “You shall love a ger” (D’varim 10:19) in the same way as is written “Love HaShem your G-d” (11:13).
But this is different from the love we are meant to show a born Israelite.
“Love your brother as yourself.” (Vayikra 19:18)
The Rambam explains the difference to be that loving a born Israelite is motivated by nationalism, which contains some selfish elements. We all grew up in the same family, and we all belong to the same nation. This leads to a natural form of love.
Love of a ger – someone who undergoes a ritual process to join the people of Israel – is different. It stems from the fact that the ger joins us in our love of HaShem, without any prior familial connections.
We have a special kind of love for a ger because he shows us how to properly love HaShem.
