The verse states,¹⁸⁴ “To love HaShem, your God, to follow in all His ways, and to adhere to Him.” Our sages, of blessed memory, asked,¹⁸⁵ “Is it possible to adhere to Him? Is He not a consuming fire? As written,¹⁸⁶ ‘For HaShem, your God, is a consuming fire.’ Rather, adhere to His attributes. Just as He is compassionate, so too, you be compassionate etc.”

footnotes: ¹⁸⁴ Deuteronomy 11:22 ¹⁸⁵ Talmud Bavli, Ketubot 111b; Shabbat 133b; Sotah 14a ¹⁸⁶ Deuteronomy 4:24

The explanation is as follows: Serving HaShem with passion involves total adhesion to HaShem, blessed is He. However, it is impossible to always be on this level of adhesion. One is only capable of, “reaching it, but not reaching it” (Mati V’Lo Mati), like fire. That is, it is like fire, which when fanned, first seems to be extinguished, but then bursts into greater flames. Fire flickers, ascending and descending, and is in constant motion. In the same way, serving HaShemwith passion is in a way of, “reaching it, but not reaching it” (Mati V’Lo Mati), because being in¹⁸⁷ “a constant state of pleasure is not pleasurable.”

footnotes: ¹⁸⁷ Moreh Nevuchim 3:24

Therefore, the Talmud asks, “Is it not written,¹⁸⁸ ‘For HaShem, your God, is a devouring fire’?” In other words, arousal of fervor and passion is temporary, since it is in a way of “reaching, but not reaching” (Mati V’Lo Mati), like fire. This being so, how is it possible to adhere to HaShem, blessed is He? The resolution is to, “Adhere to His attributes,” meaning to His garments, which refers to the letters of the Torah. For, the letters of the Torah can be in one’s mind constantly, and the Torah is the garment of HaShem, blessed is He. Thus, even when speaking with others, one should think the letters of Torah, for the twenty-two letters of the Torah are also of the Holy One, blessed is He.

footnotes: ¹⁸⁸ Deuteronomy 4:24