Parashat Eikev: Love Me!

In Parashat Eikev, read near Tu B'Av, God asks the people of Israel not only for obedience but for love. The article discusses the paradox of the commandment to love, presenting interpretations by Maimonides, Nahmanides, and Franz Rosenzweig, who sees it as the only commandment that cannot become law.

The article deals with Parashat Eikev, read near Tu B'Av, and analyzes the demand to love God that appears in it. The author notes that Tu B'Av has become the Jewish holiday of love, although in ancient sources it was associated with an agricultural festival or a day of remembrance. In the parashah, Moses presents love as a condition of the covenant, emphasizing that God chose the people of Israel out of love for the patriarchs. The article presents Maimonides' interpretation, which sees the study of Torah as a path to love, and Nahmanides, who emphasizes the duality of love and fear. The main discussion is devoted to Franz Rosenzweig, who in his book 'The Star of Redemption' defines the commandment 'and you shall love' as the supreme commandment, the only one that cannot become law, since love stems from the free movement of the soul. Rosenzweig argues that only the lover can command love, and that love of God is expressed in love of one's neighbor, leading to redemption.

Parashat Eikev: Love Me!