V’Ahavta as an Interfaith Text Study

1. Introduce yourself to your chevruta (learning partner).

2. Read the following text out loud in English with your chevruta. This is from the Bible, Deuteronomy 6:5-9, and is known as the “V’Ahavta” in Judaism because that is the first Hebrew word.

דברים ו׳:ה׳-ט׳

(ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ (ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (ט) וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזֻז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

(5) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. (7) Teach them to your children. Speak of them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. (8) Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; (9) write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

2. How do you show someone that you love them?

3. What does it look like to love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your might? How are these 3 things different?

4. Verse 7 says to “Teach them to your children”. How have you been taught about your religion?

5. Verse 7 also talks about being both at home and away from home. What does it look like to do your religion in your home? What about not in your home?

6. Verse 8 talks about your head and your hand. How do you do your religion with your head? How do you do it with your hand?

7. Verse 9 talks about putting these words on the doorposts of your home. How would a visitor to your home know what religion you are?