Sh'ma Yisrael, Adonay Elohenu, Adonay Echad!
Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One! If Judaism can be said to have a central creed it is this: there is One God; a single God of perfect Unity. The classical, medieval commentator known as Rashi (Rav Shlomo Yitchaki of Troyes, France) writes on this critical verse:
The Lord who is now our God, and not the same God as worshipped by the nations of the world, will, however, be the God worshipped by all mankind in future.God's true unity is still not fully revealed to the religions of the world, certainly not in the days the Bible is speaking of. Pure monotheism was an abberation on the religious scene not too many centuries ago. To declare that there is only one God, and He, incorporeal at that, was a radical idea and well nigh beyond the grasp of most ancient cultures.
The truth is even today, only Islam and Christianity proclaim a monotheistic faith.
It is perhaps ironic, that now as we approach the 21st century, and there is a hunger to re-capture the spiritual dimension in human existence, we find ourselves in a quasi pagan renaissance, where an element of divinity is seen to exist in all parts of nature, each element governed by a specific deity.
How does one love God? Rashi answers:

Perform His commandments out of love. There is a fundamental difference between serving out of love and serving out of fear or even out of an overabundance of awe. The one who serves God out of fear or extreme awe, when the service becomes burdensome, he leaves his servitude of God.


In American Jewish history, we find that when many an immigrant from Eastern Europe came to these shores, scores of tallitot and tefillin were literally thrown overboard at the very sight of the Statue of Liberty! Why? Religious observance, to these people, was forced upon them by social circumstance, by fear of social ostracism.

Now, in America, it was tabula rasa time; a new beginning; a time when they could follow the dictates of their heart. Judaism was only viable in the stet'l where social forces could be brought to bear to enforce the antiquated halachah (Code of Jewish Law).

That was a serving God out of fear, not out of love. Had their service of God been out of love, no outside social circumstance would change their desire to willingly observe God's Holy Law, His will for the Jewish People for all time and in all circumstances of life.


The Torah goes on to say that in that love, we are to serve God with all our heart, that is, even with our base, natural tendencies, we should endeavor to use even those desires and cravings l'shem sh'mayim (for the sake of heaven; to further God's will on earth).

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,with all your soul, and with all your might (possessions).
And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. The consequence of contemplating the nature and characteristics of God, is that you will come to love Him and out of that love, you will become deeply aware of Him, even in the daily routine of life, and you will come to attach yourself to His ways; a form of
Imitatio Dei, or imitation of God in our lives.

Project Genesis
great jewish studies site.


Jewish Theological Seminary
Major source of the history and doctrines of Conservative Judaism

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