In All your 'Veriness' – Parshat Vaetchanan

I love words. I love playing with them and seeing different ways how to use them. Even at the Shabbos table, I have taken out a dictionary to see with my family what a word means and how it is used. So when I see a word that is used with care I take notice.

Similarly, when the Torah uses a word sparingly, I notice it and try to figure out what it means, what it's doing here, etc. Such a word is in this week's parsha, Parshat Vaetchanan. It is specifically noteworthy as this phrase is repeated at least thrice daily. It is part of the Shema recited every day. "And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your מאד." The Hebrew word 'meod' usually means 'very'. But it is so hard to figure out how that fits into the meaning of the sentence that Rashi, among others, argues that it must mean something else. On the other hand, Ibn Ezra leads the way among other commentators saying that the word means exactly what it says – with all your 'veriness' or 'muchness'. Huh? Yes. With all you can, Ibn Ezra expands just in case it wasn’t clear, and with a complete love.

So we love God sooooo much. Do it with a passion. Love him with a passion. In fact, Rambam, one of the greatest Jewish philosophers and codifiers of all time, feels a need to describe this love and does so by comparing it to the infatuating love a man has for a woman.2 That is the kind of passion we need.

In fact, this passion is part of how we approach life in general. Leading logotherapist3, Dr. Steven Southwick in discussing parenting goals, finds that passion in life comes to the fore when he quotes James Loehr on parenting: "Parents who impart a love of life, and a passion for living, send a powerful message to their children. No matter how tough life is, there is joy and happiness to be found."4 There needs to be a passion for living – not simply in order to get through life but to succeed, and to do so with happiness. 

Similarly, Dr. Teria Shantall often talks about going through difficult times and even then being able to say 'Yes!' to life. say it with a passion. If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, it is indeed an lesson in passion.

Actions don’t need to be loud and boisterous to be passionate. You can show passion with gentleness and kindness as well. Passion can be shared amongst those you love in small, quiet gestures. 

You may already be living a life with passion. Keep it up. You already know how good it is.

Or, your passion may still be locked up inside you. Let it out, recognize it, study it and use it well – learn to live a passionate  life in all its power and 'veriness'.

Click here to read another logoParsha article on Parshat Vaetchanan (Today!)

Notes

  1. Devarim 6:5
  2. Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva (Laws of Repentance) 10:3
  3. Logotherapy is a system of psychology teaching that the search for meaning is our primary and most basic motivation. It was founded by Dr. Viktor Frankl and was introduced in his landmark book, Man's Search for Meaning.
  4. Southwick, Steven M.; Charney, Dennis S.. 'Resilience' (p. 175). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.
  5. Shantall, Quest for Destiny

Have A Great Shabbat!laughing

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