By Rabbi Moshe Pogrow
The most significant result of realizing yichud Hashem is the need to love Hashem bechol levavecha—i.e., with both the yetzer hara and yetzer tov. The capacity to be attracted to things that are evil or physical was been given to us by the same G-d who gave us the capacity to be drawn to things that are noble and good. Both inclinations are manifestations of His love. It is Hashem Who wove the two together into our human potential.
That Hashem created us vulnerable to the pull of evil does not mean He loves us any less. On the contrary, the existence of the yetzer hara is proof that He loves us, for in it lies all our dignity.
Without the capacity to feel drawn to evil, there would be no morality. Our essence would consist of bodily desires, like animals—attracted only to what it needs to function. If baseness and evil held no charm for us; if they left us indifferent or even repelled us; if goodness attracted us with irresistible magnetism and did not require self-control, then yes, we would never do anything evil, but we would also never do anything good. Any good that we did do would not be of our free will. It would only be a result of natural, physical compulsion. Without a yetzer hara, man would have no moral dignity.
The truth is that no human quality is, in itself, good or bad. Every quality, from the most physical to the most spiritual, can be good or bad. It is good if we use it within the limits and purposes assigned by Hashem; it is bad if we misuse it by exceeding those limits or by using it for the wrong reasons.
Thus, to love Hashem with all our hearts—with both yetzer tov and yetzer hara—means to devote all our thoughts, along with all our personality traits and aspirations, solely to the fulfillment of His Will, using them all to serve Hashem. The way we use our qualities should bring us closer to Him.
The nature of this mitzvah—to love Hashem with all our heart—means that we must be ready to gladly give up our dearest wishes if they are not what Hashem wants. In the depths of our hearts we must know that all of Hashem’s attributes are love: He takes away with love just as He gives with love.
Based on the commentary of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch zt”l on Chumash, with permission from the publisher.
