Aim High
And that’s what we’re aiming for. Like I said before, we’ll never love him like Hashem does but more and more, every little bit is an achievement. Think about him always. Keep him in mind every day and little by little, you’ll find that you’re loving him more and more.
I did it once. Years ago when I used to work on mussar, I did this. I was staying in a country with a certain family in Europe, a butcher family, plain ordinary people. I made it my business to fall in love with the butcher. Every day I walked behind the dunes on the beach, I was thinking how I could love him. I was thinking about what words I could say to him that would encourage him, words that would make him feel happy. That was in the olden days when I still had a shaychus to the mussar of Slabodka.
Pray For Him
I davened for him too. That’s a good idea by the way. The one that you chose to start with, daven for him. Instead of thinking only about yourself – that’s the true love of your life – or about your family, maybe try to also think about this Jew across the street. Think about him too.
Of course I want to be healthy but I’m practicing up now וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ and I’m going to think about him too. He should have a healthy heart. He shouldn’t get any headaches. He shouldn’t catch any colds. Think about that.
By the other brachos too. He should have good parnassah. He should get a raise and he should get along with his boss. He should have shalom in his house and with his neighbors.
