Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
The Shema uses a common word—מְאֹד (me’od, very much)—but in an unusual way:
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
You shall love God your Lord with all your heart, with all your life, and with all your me’od.
What does me’od mean here? Rashi gives two different answers:
בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ, יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁמָּמוֹנוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו מִגּוּפוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ.
With all your money. Some people love their money more than their body, therefore it is said “with all your me’od.”
- What is the connection in meaning between “me’od” and “money”?
- What are ways that people can love God with their money or their property?
- What does it mean for a person to love their money more than their bodies (or lives), and why would that be a problem according to the Torah?
בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁמּוֹדֵד לְךָ, בֵּין בְּמִדָּה טוֹבָה בֵּין בְּמִדַּת פֻּרְעָנוּת.
With every middah (measure) that God measures out for you, whether it is a measure of good or a measure of punishment.
- What is the connection in sound between “me’od” and “middah”?
- Why should we love God no matter what God does to us?
- Is it easier to love God when your life is going well than when it’s going badly? Why or why not?
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