The Mitzvah of Knowing Hashem

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The Sefer HaChinuch in his introduction instructs us on the Sheish Mitzvot Temidiyot, The Six Constant Mitzvot. He details that one is obligated to fulfill these mitzvot on a constant basis, every single second of every single day. The mitzvot are listed as: 1) to believe in Hashem 2) not to believe in other gods 3) to perceive His Oneness 4) to love Him 5) to fear Him 6) not to stray after the thoughts of our heart and the sight of our eyes. Artscroll’s book on the Six Constant Mitzvos questions the functionality of being able to fulfill 6 mitzvot at one time constantly. Would we truly be able to do anything else with our lives? Are these mitzvot accomplished through thought in contrast to action? Is that a command that can be made of us?

Based on this, Artscroll defines the premise behind these 6 Constant Mitzvot as being that of awareness. By mastering each one of these awarenesses and integrating them completely into our psyche they will end up directing all of our actions. We will no longer have to actively refer to them, but it will be ingrained at our very core. This series will study each mitzvah, explore their meaning, and develop an understanding of how to build it into our lives. We will find that the mitzvot help us to develop an emotional bond with Hashem and reinforce our connection to Him.

The Sefer HaChinuch elaborates on the first of the six mitzvot by stating, “We must believe that there is one God in the world, Who created all that exists, and in Whose power and will everything came to be; that He has always been and will forever be, that He removed us from Egypt, and that He gave us the Torah. We derive this mitzvah from the verse, ‘I am Hashem, your God, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt’ (Shemot 20:2), which means, ‘Know and believe that there is a God in the world.’ By saying, ‘Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt,’ Hashem tells us, ‘Do not allow your heart to convey you that your removal from Egypt and the plagues that led to the defeat of the Egyptians were mere coincidences. Rather, know that I took you out with Divine Intervention, as I pledged to your forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.’” (Chinuch, Mitzvah 25).

The first of the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments, emphatically states “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2). Having intellectual knowledge of Hashem is the goal though according to the Rambam. In his introduction to the Mishneh Torah he defines it as “yedia,” knowing, versus “believing” or having “faith.” Rav Binyamin Zimmerman of Yeshivat Etzion explains a deeper understanding of the Rambam’s “yedia.” The source for this word in Tanach stems from its original use in describing the way in which Adam “knew” his wife Chava. Following this “knowing” they had a son. This “yedia” of Hashem creates an intense and intimate connection with Him.

According to Rabbi Noach Weinberg, it’s about emotional trust. “You shall know this day, and understand it in your heart, that the Almighty is God” (Deut. 4:39, the “Aleinu” prayer). “It’s not enough to intellectually know that God is in charge of everything; you must also know it in your heart.” Sounds so simple, but we are acutely aware that it is anything but. Shlomo HaMelech in Mishlei 3:6 says, “Know Him in all your ways, and He will straighten your paths.”

Rabbeinu Bechaya in Chovos HaLevavos teaches the steps that one needs to take in order to train one’s heart in this. It begins with the realization that Hashem loves you with an unbounded and unconditional love as He is our Father in shamayim. The next step is to know of and make use of our direct line and connection to Hashem. He is there for any and all of our tefillot any time of the day. Following this is understanding that Hashem has all and can do all. Giving to you brings Him joy and does not diminish from who He is or what He can do. The last step is realizing that Hashem truly wants to give us good. He will provide what is best for us, whether or not we can perceive the complete picture.

The mitzvah of knowing Hashem imbues us with a responsibility. If we truly have the awareness every moment that Hashem exists, loves us, runs the world, and is here for us then we need to translate that directly into our actions. The world becomes our responsibility – it’s what He has given to us. The Sefer HaChinuch in Mitzvah 16 clearly expresses his opinion that our outside actions reflect our innermost thoughts and vice versa. As such, if we have the mitzvah to have faith in Hashem and know that He exists, then our outward actions must demonstrate this without question.

Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the OU takes this a step further. He specifies that we must acknowledge not only that He created the world, but that He continues to be involved in its day-to-day operations and our personal lives. We should not just believe in God; we should go out and look at all the evidence so that we know there’s a God. The Rambam in 3:2 (ibid) guides us to how this can be translated further into action, “A person should direct his heart and the totality of his behavior to one goal, becoming aware of God, Blessed be He. The [way] he rests, rises, and speaks should all be directed to this end. Thus, whoever walks in such a path all his days will be serving God constantly, even in the midst of his business dealings…for his intent in all matters is to fulfill his needs so that his body will be whole to serve God. Concerning this matter, our Sages have directed us and said, “All your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven.”

Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel takes issue with the fact that this could be a mitzvah in and of itself since having a mitzvah presupposes that there is a God to receive this commandment from. He redefines the mitzvah by clarifying the Rambam’s claim of belief of God is about the knowledge of God being an omnipotent and perfect Being. The Tzemach Tzedek adds a dimension saying that according to the Baal Halachot Gedolot knowledge of Hashem is achieved by observing nature. When you see the complexity that is creation, then you will arrive at the logical conclusion that there must be an Almighty Creator. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, expands on this and states that the Rambam’s view is that knowing God is achieved by “intently studying and focusing on the details as they are laid out in the first chapter of the Mishneh Torah.”¹ Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato agrees, and he states that knowing Hashem should be a constant pursuit.

The Rambam instructs us further that putting this mitzvah into practice is a part of the mitzvah itself. It must include learning the systems in this world that Hashem has gifted to us. The knowledge of His systems will then empower us to identify the positive character traits that we should aspire to achieve through character refinement. Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch maintains that this mitzvah is not just belief or knowledge, but it is all about acceptance of Hashem’s role in each of our lives. He maintains and recreates the world every moment of every day, and is involved in our lives constantly.

There are commandments that involve being in a certain emotional or psychological state according to Rav Soloveitchik. He classifies mitzvot in which the action – the ma’aseh mitzva – is merely the means to the end of achieving a certain state in their own category. He referred to these as mitzvot which have a kiyum she-ba-lev – whose fulfillment is in the heart. Reinforcing our knowledge of Hashem, accepting that He is eternal and perfect, training ourselves to form an intimate relationship with Him, and then transforming all of this knowledge to reflect in our actions. Training ourselves through our emotions and our brain will enable us to fulfill the first of the Sheish Mitzvot Temidiyot as the undercurrent of our lives.