Is Love Enough?

Question

I know Hashem is very loving and He loves me. Therefore, I don’t think He will mind that I am not keeping the mitzvos. He knows that I am spiritual and connected to Him in ways that make sense and are meaningful to me, and I am a good person. Isn’t this enough?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    I understand why you feel as you do. However, I hope you will not be upset with me if I suggest that I think that you are being a little disingenuous. Love is more than just an internal emotion that requires no external effort. Love is also the way that a person interacts with the one that they love. There is a vital ingredient missing in a marriage where neither side ever expresses their love for their spouse. A relationship where neither side gives gifts or reveals any expression of their love is a relationship that is lacking one of the most obvious – if not the most obvious – signs of love.

    Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, Michtav Me’Eliyahu Kuntres Hachesed, Ahavah, writes that the Hebrew word “Ahavah-love” has the word “hav” as its two middle letters. Hav means “give.” This indicates that the essence of love is giving and that through giving, two people can become one. It is through giving that one shows the extent of their love for another. So too, in our relationship with Hashem we show our love for Him by keeping His Mitzvos and showing Him that we are happy to do His bidding. Because without displaying the external signs of love, there is no way of showing that we love Hashem. But, even more than that, without the external displays and reminders of our love, it becomes increasingly more and more difficult to sustain the love.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team