To Love is to Act

Perhaps the most well known commandment in the Torah is the commandment of “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

This is a challenging mitzvah to say the least. In fact, so challenging that it begs the question how could G-d make it a command. In other words, how can you command someone to feel a certain way.

Furthermore, if we are commanded to love our neighbor (read all people) “as ourselves”, then why the need for all the mitzvos about how to treat the needy, poor, widow and orphan. Wouldn’t we naturally treat them as ourselves and provide whatever they need?

These two questions are answered as one. Indeed, Hashem is not commanding us to feel, Hashem is commanding us to act. Act in love, do the things that demonstrate loving behavior. If we do this then we may or may not come to love the other, but our actions will be regarded as love.

Surely, there is hope for us to transform our internal feelings to truly love. But that is a more difficult journey and one that success is not guaranteed. But how we treat others can and should always be loving regardless of where our inner emotions are.

And even with the above, we still need Hashem’s help to succeed at ensuring that our actions override the disconnecting emotions when they arise.

Have a good Shabbos!