Daily Tanya Monday 16th Nissan Chapter 40 Part 4: Why love and fear are only considered wings

16^th Nissan/(LY) 9^th Nissan

1. Why love and fear are only considered wings-Love without Avoda is lacking its purpose:

• Love and fear are one of the 613 commands: Love and fear of G-d are in truth enumerated among the 613 commands, [and thus deserve to be considered Mitzvos in their own right and not to be given the secondary status of mere wings which are not an intrinsic part of the bird, and do not invalidate it].
• The purpose of the love is to fulfill the Mitzvah: Nonetheless, they are only described as wings being that the main purpose of the [Mitzvah to] love Hashem, is to serve Hashem [and fulfill the remaining 611 Mitzvahs] with this love. [Thus, the Mitzvah to love Hashem is given a secondary-wing-status in comparison to the other Mitzvos, which are fulfilled with that love.]

2. Ahava Betaanugim-A love with an intrinsic purpose in its own right:

• A form of love of which its purpose is not to motivate service of G-d and Mitzvah fulfillment, but rather has intrinsic purpose in it of itself, is only relevant to the higher form of love called Ahavah Betaanugim, a love of delights.
• A love of pleasure: This love entails receiving pleasure in one’s Dveikus to Hashem, similar to the reward in the World to Come and serves as a taste of the world to come, and a reward in this world.
• Not the focus in this world: [This love is not common today being that it is given as reward for the service, and the service is meant to be done now, prior to the reward. Accordingly, this form of intrinsic love is not the main form of love demanded of man to achieve in this world] as Scripture states that the purpose of this world is to perform the commands and only in the future do we receive the reward.

3. Fulfilling Mitzvahs and studying Torah to quench one’s love for G-d:

• Thus, anyone who has not reached this state of love called Ahavah Betaanugim, to have a taste of the World to Come, and rather his soul still thirsts for G-d and has a soulful passion to attach to Him throughout the day, then he must quench his thirst in the waters of the Torah that is available in front of him, which is the service of G-d that the love motivates.
• Screaming for water while in front of a river: One who does not do so and leaves the thirsting love in place without quenching it, is similar to a person who is standing by a river of fresh water and is screaming “I need water, I need water.” On this the prophet complains, “Ho, whoever is thirsty go to the water.” The intent of this statement of the prophet is not just the obvious, that one who thirsts to learn Torah should go learn Torah^[1], but rather that one who thirsts for G-d, should go learn Torah and serve Him, as that will quench his thirst.

[1] As explained in Bava Kama 17a