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אלשיך — ושמר ה' אלהיך לך את הברית ואת החסד אשר נשבע לאבתיך / ואהבך וברכך

Verse 12 already promises that Hashem will keep the brit and chesed sworn to the avot. So what does verse 13's 'ואהבך וברכך' add — isn't shemirat brit already an expression of love?

הנה כתבנו שיקרנו עם ה' אלהינו כמלך האומר לבן אהובו, הנה עד כה הטבתי לך על שאהבתי את אביך, אך מעתה היה לי לבן חיל לאשר אני מצוה אותך ולא תצטרך לשאטיב לך על אהבת אביך כי אם שאאהב אותך מצד עצמך כאשר אהבתי את אביך ואיטיב לך על אהבתי אותך, ואניח אהבת אביך שמורה לך לעת תצטרך לדבר גדול ועצום מאד. ועל דרך זה אומר הוא יתברך ושמר ה' אלהיך לך את הברית ואת החסד אשר נשבע אל אהבת אבותיך שיהיה שמור לך לעתיד.

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אלשיך

Alshekh on Torah, Deuteronomy 7:12

Eikev

Q — Verse 12 already promises that Hashem will keep the brit and chesed sworn to the avot. So what does verse 13's 'ואהבך וברכך' add — isn't shemirat brit already an expression of love?

A — Two distinct kinds of love. 'ושמר... את הברית ואת החסד אשר נשבע לאבותיך' is the love-by-virtue-of-the-ancestors — Hashem treats Israel well because He loved Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. 'ואהבך,' a new and higher tier, is love of *Israel itself*, on its own merit — what you receive because Hashem has come to love *you* directly through your own avodah. The avot-love is preserved 'לעתיד, לעת תצטרך לדבר גדול ועצום מאד' — held in reserve for moments of crisis. But the standard, daily relationship between Israel and Hashem should be grounded in self-earned love, not inherited credit. The mitzvot are the path from inheritance-love to own-love.

הנה כתבנו שיקרנו עם ה' אלהינו כמלך האומר לבן אהובו, הנה עד כה הטבתי לך על שאהבתי את אביך, אך מעתה היה לי לבן חיל לאשר אני מצוה אותך ולא תצטרך לשאטיב לך על אהבת אביך כי אם שאאהב אותך מצד עצמך כאשר אהבתי את אביך ואיטיב לך על אהבתי אותך, ואניח אהבת אביך שמורה לך לעת תצטרך לדבר גדול ועצום מאד. ועל דרך זה אומר הוא יתברך ושמר ה' אלהיך לך את הברית ואת החסד אשר נשבע אל אהבת אבותיך שיהיה שמור לך לעתיד.

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