וּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְ לַת לְבַבְכֶּם - And you should remove the block of your heart... (Devorim 10:16) What prevents a person to do mitzvos with awe and love? The block that covers his heart. But the bright side is that the Torah in the verse quoted above (from our week’s parsha) tells us that it is within our abilities to remove that block.
Ask around your Shabbos table: What is the practical way that can help a person to remove the block of his heart and thereby, allow him to do mitzvos with love and awe?
Menucha’s Answer: In the Torah, the verse above is written right after this verse: “Only your forefathers did Hashem desire, to love them, and He chose their offsprings after them, you, out of all peoples, as it is this day.” (Devorim 10:15). Rashi explains that “He chose their offsprings” means that just like the forefathers were desirable by Hashem, so are you. It appears that the reason why this verse (10:15) that talks about Hashem’s love for us is juxtaposed to the verse “And you should remove the orlah of your heart” is to tell us that the way to remove the orlah of the heart is by internalizing the truth that Hashem desires us and loves us.
So before you do a mitzva, think first how much Hashem really loves you and all of Am Yisroel. That meditation will remove the orlah of your heart and you will proceed to do the mitzva with awe and love.
