"You shall love the Eternal your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deut. 6:5).
Parable of the Two Friends
Two friends, both well-dressed, but what a difference! Jack works in a high-profile position in a prestigious firm. He has a well-stocked wardrobe, but he does not derive much pleasure from his many suits. Jack knows that if he didn't wear the finest suits and the smartest ties, he could end up losing his job.
Charles, on the other, loves the feel and look of elegant clothing. His closet is filled with dozens of fancy suits, ties, fine shirts and dress shoes. Charles loves shopping for new clothes and going out with a new suit.
While both friends wear expensive clothing, we can see clearly the difference in their attitudes towards clothes if they were to meet a famous clothes designer.
Jack, who wears fancy clothes only because his job, will feel a certain sense of resentment when meeting the designer. If the designer had not invented these clothes, there would be no need to buy them and wear them!
But Charles would be excited and perhaps even grateful to have the opportunity to meet the person who designed such wonderful garments. For Charles, this person enabled him express himself with beautiful clothes.
Love and Fear
The difference between Jack and Charles is the difference between one who serves God out of fear and one who serves God with love.
One whose service is based on Yirah, fear of Heaven, will feel a certain resentment that he must carry the burden of Torah and mitzvot. He keeps mitzvot out of a sense of duty and obligation. He wants to do the right thing, but he would be happy if there were fewer rules and laws.
But one who serves God with love performs mitzvot with a sincere feeling of gratitude. He is delighted with the opportunity to fulfill God's Will, and is appreciative of each mitzvah. He sees each mitzvah as a way to connect to God and express his love for his Creator.
Thus we find that Rav Huna taught that a scholar who fails to recite a blessing before studying Torah will not merit children who are Torah scholars. Why is this?
Blessings recited before Torah study indicate our appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to study God's Torah and perform His mitzvot. Only a person with this positive attitude will be able to pass on these values to the next generation.
Adapted from Meshalim Ve-gam Sipurim Le-no'ar ule-kol Bet Yisra'el, p. 57
