Is love of G-d within a human being's ability or not? I will answer this as follows.

There are three kinds of love:

1. That it is easy in the eyes of the lover to lose money due to his love, but not his body and life.

2. That it is easy in the eyes of the lover to lose money due to his love and also part of his body, provided he will remain alive.

3. Love for which it is easy for the lover to give up his money, his body, and his life due to his love.

We find that Avraham our patriarch, peace be unto him, demonstrated his love of G-d in all these ways, in his willingness to give up his money, his body, and his life.

With his money: He would spend it in hospitality to the wayfarers, in order to give them knowledge of the Creator; likewise what he told the king of Sodom: "Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours" (Bereishis 14:23), all this is proof of his generosity of soul and that money was light in his eyes (for his love of G-d).

With his body: In the brit mila (circumcision), he did not hesitate to fulfill it joyously on himself and on others.

His generosity in willingness to give up his life out of love of G-d, he demonstrated by his energy and zeal in the matter of [offering up] Yitzchak which showed his pure love of G-d, and the faithfulness of his heart in the service of G-d.

This is the highest of the levels of love of G-d. It cannot be reached by every human being because it is beyond the capacity of ordinary flesh since it runs against the nature of a man and is opposite to it.

When it is found among exceptional individuals, it exists only due to the Creator's strengthening them and His helping them so that the evil inclination will not overpower them as a reward for their [great] exertion in His service, and their fulfillment of the commandments of His torah, with a faithful soul, perfect heart, and pure mind. Such were G-d's prophets and His elect and treasured ones. It is not possible for every human being to bear what we mentioned due to love of G-d, because nature and the evil inclination are against it. But the former two kinds are within the ability of most people provided they exert themselves to fulfill the prerequisites we mentioned in this gate.

That which teaches that the first two kinds are evidence of genuine love of G-d in a person, we can see from what Satan said: "Does Iyov fear G-d for nothing? Have not you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? you have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions are increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now, [and touch all that he has, surely he will blaspheme You to Your face]" (Iyov 1:9), which he meant: "he is like a merchant doing business with You, since with his love and fear of You, his price from you in return is honor and wealth of the world. But if You take away from him what You have bestowed on him and he remains in his piety with You - then he is faithful in genuine love of You". The Creator answered the Satan: "behold, everything of his is in your hands..." (Iyov 1:12). And then Satan did what you know from the text with his money and his children, and Iyov did not change, neither inwardly or outwardly towards G-d. He maintained his faithful love to G-d, as he said: "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return [to the grave]: the L-ord gave, and the L-ord has taken away; blessed be the name of the L-ord" (Iyov 1:21).

Then the Creator said to Satan: "Have you considered my servant Iyov, that there is none like him on earth, a wholehearted and upright man, that fears G-d, and shuns evil? And he still holds fast his integrity, though you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause"" (Iyov 2:3). And Satan answered: "Skin for skin, yes, all that a man has will he give for his life; But put forth Your hand, and strike his flesh and bones, and he will curse You to Your face" (Iyov 2:4). What Satan meant was: "many people will give up their money, their wives and their children, in order to keep their own bodies unharmed. But the genuineness of Iyov's love for You can only be demonstrated when he is tried and tested in his own body and flesh, through pains inflicted on him, and which he will resent".

Then the Creator answered Satan: "Behold, he is in your hand; but spare his life" (Iyov 2:6). Satan then did as he said of afflicting Iyov's body, and Iyov beared it patiently and did not change in his faithfulness and good heart to G-d, in saying to his wife: "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of G-d, and shall we not receive the bad?" (Iyov 2:10).

Thus the genuineness of his love and his purity of heart to G-d was demonstrated to he who doubted it, in his bearing the loss of his money and the suffering of his body, and he did not condemn the judgment of G-d, and even said in answer to his friends: "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him" (Iyov 13:15).

Hence the Creator praised him for this, and did not praise his friends for rebuking him, as written: "the L-ord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Iyov has" (Iyov 42:7).

You can observe that the Creator associated two righteous men with Iyov and brought them up as examples in saying: "though these three men be in its midst - Noah, Daniel, and Iyov - they would save themselves with their righteousness, says the L-ord, G-d"(Yechezkel 14:14). And afterwards G-d restored to Iyov his prosperity as written: "the L-ord restored the prosperity of Iyov" (Iyov 42:10).

Such too were the sentiments and conducts of the early pious ones who were subjected to trials, such as Daniel in the lion's den and his three companions in the fiery furnace, the ten martyrs, and those who conducted themselves as them.

This degree of love the prophet exhorts on us to attain in saying: "And you shall love the L-ord your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Devarim 6:4).

Nevertheless, if one strives always to reach the degree of love of G-d motivated by hope for benefit or fear of punishment in this world and in the next world, which is in the ability of most human beings to attain, the Creator will strengthen and help him, on the genuine love, which springs from reverence of the greatness and exaltedness of the Creator, which is beyond the ability of flesh, as the verse says: "I will cause love to those that love Me; And those that seek Me diligently shall find Me" (Mishlei 8:17), and "But he who sins against Me harms his soul; [all who hate me, love death]" (Mishlei 8:36).