Loving Hashem - Based On Rambam Sefer Hamitzvos: Positive Mitzvah #3

When I first saw that the Rambam counts loving Hashem as a mitzvah, I found that confusing. Love is an emotion. It is not something you can just switch on because you are supposed to. The Rambam explains that it actually starts with paying attention. When a person spends time thinking about Hashem’s Torah, His mitzvos, and the world He created, that awareness slowly grows into love.

I have noticed that in my own life. There are times when a mitzvah just feels like something I need to get done. Other times it feels completely different. If I take a minute to think about what I am doing and why it matters, suddenly the same action feels more meaningful. It is the same mitzvah, but the mindset changes the experience.

The Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya that love of Hashem is what pushes a person to do mitzvos. When someone loves something, they naturally want to move closer to it. You see that everywhere in life. People invest time and energy into the things they care about. They read about it, talk about it, and look for ways to be involved. The same thing can happen with our relationship with Hashem.

For me, this mitzvah is less about forcing a feeling and more about building a relationship. The more time I spend learning and thinking about Torah, the more those moments of connection start to appear on their own.

Maybe something simple to try this week is just pausing for a few seconds before doing a mitzvah and asking yourself why you are doing it. Even a short moment of awareness can change the way the whole thing feels.

All the best,

Avroham Yehudah Ross