A SHEMA KIND�OF LOVE
A BRAIDED PRAYER��SH'MA YISRA'EIL ADONAI ELOHEINU ADONAI ECHAD… �(SHEMA IN HEBREW)��PADRE NUESTRO QUE ESTÁS EN LOS CIELOS, SANTIFICADO SEA TU NOMBRE… �(LORD’S PRAYER IN SPANISH)��BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM �(ISLAMIC PRAYER AL-FATIHA)��BY ABRAHAM JAM�DAVID LAMOTTE, DAWUD WHARNSBY AND BILLY JONAS�
THE GREATEST AND FIRST COMMANDMENT
“AND YESHUA SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ THIS IS THE GREAT AND FIRST COMMANDMENT. AND THE SECOND IS LIKE IT: ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR LIKE YOURSELF.’ ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS HANG ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS.” MATTHEW 22:36-40�
“YOU SHALL NOT TAKE VENGEANCE OR BEAR A GRUDGE AGAINST ANY OF YOUR PEOPLE, BUT YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF: I AM THE LORD.” LEVITICUS 19:18
����WHY DID JESUS, IN HIS ANSWER TO THE LAWYER, ADD THE LEVITICUS TEXT TO THE SACRED SHEMA TEXT? WHAT IS “UNSAID” IN THE SHEMA THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID OUT LOUD REGARDING OUR LOVE OF GOD? A LOVE OF GOD WHICH, SHOULD NATURALLY LEAD TO A LOVE OF NEIGHBOR?�
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS…THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTIVE OF LOVING ONE’S NEIGHBOR IS A “TOUCH STONE” SHARED BY JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY AND OTHER �MAJOR RELIGIONS
THE SHEMA
“HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD ALONE. YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT. TAKE TO HEART THESE INSTRUCTIONS WITH WHICH I CHARGE YOU THIS DAY. IMPRESS THEM UPON YOUR CHILDREN. RECITE THEM WHEN YOU STAY AT HOME AND WHEN YOU ARE AWAY, WHEN YOU LIE DOWN AND WHEN YOU GET UP.” DEUTERONOMY 6:4-7
LĀV = HEART = INEXPLICABLE, BURNING LOVE��NEPHESH = SOUL = SPIRITUAL ONENESS��M’OD = MUCHNESS = THE COMBINATION OF LĀV AND NEPHESH, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ACQUIRE���
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It’s a Question of Love��Why aren’t we simply commanded to love God – full stop, nor more explanation needed?
� Why the specificity of all your heart and soul and might?
Why is “loving neighbor as yourself” not understood instinctively as an implicit extension of loving God?�
Why must we be instructed to love God with our whole being?
MORE LOVE WRITTEN BY BILLY JONAS��DID YOU PUT MORE LOVE IN THE WORLD TODAY? �MORE LOVE ON YOUR WAY TO THE SETTING SUN, �THERE IS ONLY ONE MEASURE WHEN YOU CAN HONESTLY SAY: �I PUT MORE LOVE …. �SIMU, SIMU AHAVATCHEM BA-OLAM�