Bi'sinas Hashem Osanu?

"Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek & find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."


The Jews said "Bi'sinas Hashem osanu" - Because Hashem HATES us [he took us out of Egypt - Devarim 1/27]. Where did they get this idea? Rashi says that there was a deep psychological mechanism at work, today called "projection". The Jews really felt animosity towards Hashem so they projected their feelings upon Him and said that He hates them. This was obviously not true. Hashem LOVES Am Yisrael. Every day in davening we say "AHAVA RABBAH AHAVTANU" - Hashem loves us with a great love. Afterwards we say "Vi'ahavta es Hashem Elokecha" - We love Hashem. Only after experiencing His love for us can we love Him ["Kimayim haponim liponim keyn lev haodom li'odom"].

This is something to work on! Feeling Hashem's love for us and our love for Him. There is a book I highly recommend called "Chovos Ha'levavos" [Duties Of The Heart in English translation]. A true classic in the field! He talks about how to come to love Hashem [in Shaar Ha'ahava].

The mutual love is there. It is incumbent upon us to uncover it by removing all of the external layers of our reality that prevent us from getting there.

We also have a lot of love to share with our surroundings. Unfortunately there are many barriers that prevent this love from being actualized.

May we overcome our inhibitions and walk by the light of Rebbe Akiva's rule "Vi'ahavta li'rayacha kamocha - zeh klal gadol baTorah!!"