Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:
Deuteronomy 10:20: “You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.”
In this verse we are given the fundamental conditions for a proper relationship with God. We are to fear Him. The word in Hebrew for fear is “yara’” This is not a fear of consequences or punishment. The word “fear” in English is very misleading because of it’s negative implication. The word “yara” means awe and respect, but it is more of the idea of trusting and/or loving someone so much that you will allow that person to control your life, regardless of the personal cost. A new parent will feel “yara” towards that little baby. His or her life will be totally wrapped in that child and they will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for that young life entrusted to them.
We are told that another condition is to serve God. The word in the Hebrew for “serve” is “aved.” Again, the English rendering “serve” is unfortunate because when we hear the word “serve” we think of someone who does the bidding of a master. “Aved” is more than this. The word “aved” would fit better with a husband seeking to do the things which will bring his wife pleasure. He will bring her flowers, take her to dinner, spend time with her, whatever it is that she takes pleasure in her husband will seek to bring this about. A father may not be bothered by a child’s behavior, but the mother is. In that case the father will say to the child: “If your mother is not happy, I am not happy, so you had better stop it now.” If you call this a man serving his wife, then “serve” is a good rendering for “aved.”
So a proper relationship with God involves loving Him enough to entrust Him with your life, and seeking to do the things that will bring Him pleasure. The third condition is to “cling” to Him. The word in Hebrew for “cling” is “devekut.” Devekut in modern Hebrew is used for the word “glue.” Devekut is gluing yourself to God, adhering to Him. Devekut among orthodox Jews can take on almost mystical proportions. When an orthodox Jew enters a state of Devekut, it is almost trance like state. He seeks to disassociate himself from all worldly and fleshly concerns and become one with God. This can occur during prayer or during the study of Torah. Sometimes it is just a call to silence. One rabbi remarked that in silence you can hear the cry of the world. Rabbinic literature teaches that Devekut is a high and deep stage of spiritual development where the seeker attaches himself or herself to God and exchanges individuality for a profound partnership with the Holy One. The force behind a Devekut is the love of God and desire for intimacy or closeness with God.
Many orthodox Jews view the requirements of the Sabbath as the gift of the Sabbath. The requirements are not a burdensome bother filled with restrictions, but an opportunity to draw closer to God and to enter into a Devekut. The do’s and don’ts of the laws are opportunities to connect with God. This is why David said in Psalms 1:2: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
How can anyone get so excited about laws? David could because the law of God was an opportunity to enter into a Devekut with God. The law is the gateway to a Devekut, a clinging or an intimacy with God. It is like you and God hugging each other. You usually don’t say anything in a hug, you just enjoy each other’s presence.
But soft, there is a flip side to this clinging business. God is not calling us to be a parasite. We do not cling to him like a leech to your leg. This thing is two sided. God will cling to us if we cling to him. The picture is that of two lovers embracing each other. Davekut is not a group hug. It is a hug between two individuals, you and God. When God embraces you it is as if there is no other being in this universe than you. He gives you his full, complete attention in a Devekut. C.S Lewis describe God living outside of time such that he can spend every moment or second with you. When He finishes he just runs back in time and picks up with someone else. That is how He is omnipresent. Thus, you have His complete and full attention every second of your life. He has nothing else to do but stand in front of you with His arms open waiting for you to step into His arms so He can give you a hug (Devekut).
The last condition seems a bit odd in light of the first three. We are to swear in His name. Somehow that just doesn’t fit the flow of this passage. The Hebrew word for “swear” is “shava’” or “sava’” The Masoretic text says “shava’” Since the Masoretic text is not inspired, I am free to disagree with it. In this case I opt for the word to be “sava’” which means to be fully satisfied. In want of nothing else. So after trusting God to take complete control of us, doing whatever it takes to bring Him pleasure and entering into a state of Devekut or God and you giving each other a hug, we then find the fourth condition is to let this relationship fully satisfy us.
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