Walking after God – Re’eh
The sidra says, “After the Lord your God shall you walk” (Deut. 13:5).
The Hebrew text clearly says, “walk”, but since by definition God is totally incorporeal and has no bodily form or shape, how can we say that He walks? Isn’t walking a physical action?
The Targum Onkelos, constantly alert to any anthropomorphism, expands the verse so that it becomes a metaphor, “You shall walk after the service of the Lord your God”. In other words, “walk along the path of Divine service”.
The Midrash (Sifrei) and Talmud (Sotah 14a) say, “emulate the attributes of God – As He is merciful, so should you be merciful; as He is full of lovingkindness, so should you show lovingkindness”.
