How Shall We Love the Lord?

Day 12: June 29, 2009

Today was a morning run, meals, and study - even in the evening, so no pictures. However, there is one thing I learned which you may find interesting. As I have mentioned before, we are memorizing the famous Sh'ma passage, Deut 6:4-9 + Lev 19.18. Deuteronomy 6:5 reads, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul [or "person"], and with all your strength"; note that there is a list of three things with which or because of which we are to love the Lord.

We get three accounts of when Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 6:5 is included in Matt 22:17, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27. There are a number of things worth noting, but I will point out only one. It has to do with the number of items in the list and the treatment of the last item from Deut 6:5 (all accounts read "heart" and "soul" for the first two items).

First, Matthew records Jesus listing three items just like Deut 6:5, but the last one is "with all your mind" instead of "strength." Why?

Second, Mark and Luke record four items in the list: "with all your mind and with all your strength" in Mark and the same to items in reverse order in Luke. So, our teacher asked us (in Hebrew, of course), "Why did Jesus say 'mind' and 'strength'? Didn't he know the Scriptures [tongue in cheek]?"

The solution goes back to the meaning of the Hebrew word translated "strength," m'od. It seems that the word m'od can mean strength either in the sense of physical ability or in the sense of having means, such as material resources. In turn m'od can mean wealth. But wealth can also be used in two senses: (1) money, such as gold, silver, or bronze, or (2) mental ability, such as intelligence or wisdom.

To summarize, the word m'od can mean either physical prowess or mental prowess (either of which can include financial resources or the ability to gain them). Jesus, as recorded in Mark and Luke takes it to mean both. Matthew chooses to mention only the mental prowess side of it (I don't have a Septuagint with me). Jesus very likely used two words to describe the significance of m'od.

Every part of our being belongs to God - will, whole self, resources, and intellect. We should return to him the very best that we have (which he has given to us) in loving him and getting to know him better. That is the greatest commandment.

Brakhot!