Parshas Va’eschanan
מיכאל ריטש
Teshuvas HaRashba (5,55) explaining Krias Shema:
You also asked me to explain the chapter of Krias Shema. I’ve already said that I don’t deal in the secrets of the Torah. In truth, every בעל דעת knows that this special parsha contains the principles of Unity of Hashem and Belief; it hints at the great fundamentals, the foundations on which the House of Israel stands. Anyhow, we are permitted to delve into the simple understanding of things that the whole Torah hints at and says. Even for this, I will just tell you what occurs to me from the simple understandings that one needs to think about at the time of reading Shema.
We are all obligated to read this section, not just as one reads a section of Torah to fulfil the obligation to read Torah. We must focus on knowing that Hashem is One, and that he is our G-d. And, that we are obligated to give over our souls and our desires and everything we value (נפשינו ותאותנו וכל מאודנו) for his blessed name.
We must decide this completely and absolutely, not just with our lips - may Hashem save us from being those about whom it is said “With his mouth and his lips he honored me, but his heart is far from me”!
We must accept this on ourselves, not like someone who is pained and sad, someone who decides to do something for the fear of one who rules over him whom he cannot escape or avoid obeying. Rather, like someone who loves and desires to fulfill the will of his master whom he loves, who will place his heart’s desire, who will find his pleasure, who will glory in all that he achieves in pursuing his master’s commands.
We must also consider that our belief in Hashem and his Unity should not be habitual ... Rather, we are obligated to listen carefully and to seek deeper understanding; true deep study will compel and incline us to this. This is what it says, “שמע ישראל”. For the word שמע contains three meanings. The first is hearing with the ears. But there is also a borrowed meaning of understanding, as in “You gave to your servant an understanding heart (‘לב שומע’).” And there is also a borrowed meaning of acceptance and paying heed, as in “Listen, my son, to the musar of your father”, and “Happy is the man who listens to me”, and “If you will listen to my mitzvos”.
Here in שמע ישראל, all three meanings are involved: we are commanded to listen and study, as without hearing and study one cannot delve into it. After the listening and study, we must delve deep to see if there is any evidence against ח"ו. And after the listening has brought us to true depth, the depth will bring us and in truth compel us to accept and believe in Hashem’s existence and his hashgacha on the details of our actions, as is said, אלקינו means ruler over all powers, leader, and judge. As in, “I have placed you as אלהים to Par’oh”, which Onkolos translates as “master”. “Do not curse אלהים”, which Onkolos translates as “judge”.
Since the philosophers have made the mistake of concluding that Hashem does not watch over lower details, even those involving human beings - the opinion expressed as “The clouds hide him and he does not see, and he travels in the heavenly spheres” - therefore our G-d has said that he does watch over us, and oversees us himself, not through heavenly mazalos nor heavenly powers - only he himself, may he be blessed. And he separated us for his name’s sake, and took us for his portion, as is said, “When the nations were divided up above... for his nation is Hashem’s portion...” [And he said that] he is one and there is no other power but him. All of this is explained in the verse “You should know today and place upon your hearts, that Hashem he is G-d in the heavens above and on the earth below; there is no other.” “You should know today” includes studying and listening. “Place upon your hearts” includes delving deep. “Hashem he is G-d” includes emunah and the acceptance that the depth brings, that there is no other master in the heavens above or on the earth below; nothing else.
After we know and accept all this, it is right that we should love him, with all our hearts, all our souls, all our might, for everything comes from him and he gives us all everything we have, as David the King of Israel said, “For all comes from you, and from your hand it is given to us.” And this is what it says, “You shall love Hashem your G-d, בכל לבבך” - with both of your yeitzers, as the sages said, “With both your yeitzers, the good inclination and the evil inclination”. The evil inclination is what seduces a man to go after the desires of his heart. But we are commanded to desire his service and his love, may he be blessed, to despise other desires, as it is said, “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love...” This is the midah of Avraham Avinu. He was given a son in his old age, after he was childless for so long, one he had desired all his life. And that son was of the highest quality a human being can be. And Avraham was the essence of one who loves kindness - and he was willing to turn to cruelty for his love of his Creator. Willing to kill that son with his own hand, to abandon and forget the love of his only son, whom he had loved and desired completely. His love overcame every other want and desire, and they were forgotten. That is it is said, “Children of Avraham - who loved me.”
בכל נפשך - this includes any harm that comes to a person, damage or pain, even giving up his life, to fulfill the mitzvos. As our sages said, “ ‘Why are you going out to be stoned?’ ‘I circumcized my son.’ ‘Why are you going out to be burned?’ ‘I took the lulav.’ ” This is the midah of Yitzchak Avinu, who was bound on the altar, and stretched out his neck under the blade when he believed that that was what Hashem wanted.
ובל מאדך - to despise wealth if that is what is needed to fulfill Hashem’s service, like Yaakov Avinu, who despised the wealth of his father’s house and chose to hide himself in the Tent of Torah. He said, “All that you give me I will tithe to you.” And it says in the Midrash that he gave away all the wealth he had earned outside the Land of Israel - to buy his place in the Ma’aras Hamachpelah, as it says, “ ‘The grave that I bought myself’- he made a pile of all his wealth to pay for the Ma’aras Hamachpelah.”
The basic idea is that we should establish in ourselves, decide completely, every time we read Krias Shema, that we agree to give over all our wants and desires of our hearts, and ourselves from our limbs to our lives, and all our money, for the Oneness of his holy name and acceptance of his kingship. And we must picture this in our minds and hearts just as if we really were faced with it. With that, we fulfill “We are killed for you each day” - is it possible to be killed every day? But every day that we read Krias Shema ובכל נפשך - and decide on it - it is as if we are being killed every day at that time for his sake. For when someone accepts something on himself, it is as if he did it.
This is what it says, “And these words that I command you this day shall be upon your heart,” that is, accepted and engraved on your heart. I think this is like the gemara in Brachos, “How far must one have kavanah in Krias Shema? [Minimally] until ‘upon your heart’. ” For without completing the kavanah of the heart with real commitment, the true thing is impossible. Therefore, when we say “upon your heart”, we must think about this kavannah, and accept it. This is why I think that the halacha is like the one there who says that till “upon your heart” one must have kavannah.
The truth is, it is impossible to have true kavannah, even with complete firm acceptance - if the acceptance is something forced through fear. For even if someone accepts, but because of fear of consequences, of punishment - but he would be happier if he were not commanded and wouldn’t need to do it - that is not perfect service. Not until one is happy on being commanded, and brings himself forward, accepting the fulfillment upon himself. And this is what is said, ושננתם לבניך ודברת בם, “You shall teach it to your children, and speak of it”. A man teaches his son about things that are sweet to him, and talks about them all the time: people don’t speak that way about things that upset them or that they dislike. He puts them like ornaments between his eyes, as it says, “והיו לטטפות בין עיניך”: he wants these words to be on his forehead constantly and never leave, even for a minute. (“Totafos” are ornaments, as it says in Gemara Shabbos, “[She may not go out] with totefes [singular] nor with sarbitim”.) And he writes them on the doorposts of his gates, in order that the words should be before his eyes at all times and never leave, that he should not forget them for a minute, and so that he can glory in them and enjoy them.
There is really nothing for me to add.