FORCED LOVE?

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

BH Mommy is back home after having her foot operation this week.

I also hope everyone is now enjoying the summer holidays, and I wish everyone safe and happy travelling.

This week's Sedra is Vaeschanan, which contains our famous prayer 'Shema Yisrael'

The next verse of Shema, commands us to love Hashem with all our hearts etc

But can one really force someone to love?

If one loves Hashem, he does not need a command to do so.

If one does not love Hashem, telling him (or her) to do so, will not change their mind!?

Rambam and the Baal Shem Tov explain, that this verse is both a command and a promise.

1. The command is to contemplate on Hashem, and His Creation, and His presence in our lives etc
2. The promise is that if we do this deeply enough, we are assured that we will indeed thereby, come to love Hashem

I presume that this applies also to contemplating on the good qualities ofour fellow human beings, as it says in this weeks Hayom Yom (12th of Av) from the Baal Shem Tov - 'He who loves his fellow Jew loves G-d, because the Jew has within himself a part of G-d. Therefore when one loves the Jew ie his inner essence, one loves G-d.'

Gut Shabbos to all