Loving God – Ekev
Some academic scholars of the Bible think that when the Shema tells Israel to love the Lord (Deut. 6:5, 11:13), it is using a technical term – the idiom common in the ancient world whereby the sovereign makes laws and his subjects must obey them; in this view, “love” means “obey”.
Judaism certainly believes that God must be obeyed but it uses the word “love” in the normal sense as an emotion, not a legal concept. A person who loves God has a deep affection towards Him, feeling in love with God and God’s presence. Psalm 116 says, “I love the Lord who hears my voice”.