Re’e: Cleaving To G-d
A Question of Motive
Those who walk in his ways behave in a G-d-like manner in an effort to improve their character. Those who cleave to G-d do so because G-d the primary factor in their life. They too behave in a G-d like manner, that is, however, not their primary motive.
In short, both emulate G-d, the first emphasizes the improvement of self, the second emphasizes connection to G-d.
Parenting Models
Let us use parenting as an example. Many grow up believing that they will parent differently from the way they were parented. Of course, when the time comes, they find themselves raising children precisely the way their parents raised them. Furthermore, it doesn’t even take an effort to repeat the so-called “mistakes” their parents made, they seem to come naturally!
On the other hand there are those who observe expert educators in action and resolve to parent in similar fashion. Yet parenting like an expert is not an easy task, it requires great effort. Why is it so easy to repeat our parents “mistakes” but a struggle to teach ourselves new ways?
The answer to this question is similar to the distinction between “walking in his ways” and ”cleaving” to him. In repeating our parents’ mistakes we are simply reflecting the genes we inherited from them. We are like them and therefore act the way they do. Analogous to the way those, who cleave to G-d and make him the primary factor of their life, naturally emulate G-d.
Learning from an expert requires more then reflecting our inner character, it requires adopting a new approach. Similar to those who emulate G-d in the hope that it will improve their character and make them more G-d like.
They are starting from the outside struggling to break in while the others are already on the inside forging ahead.
Tags: parenting
