# V'ahavta

The V'ahavta (Hebrew: ואהבת) consists of verses Deuteronomy 6:5–9 of the Hebrew Bible. It is named after the first word in verse 6:5, "V'ahavta", which means "and you shall love". The V'ahavta directly follows the Shema Yisrael prayer in verse 6:4. In Judaism, the Shema and the V'ahavta are recited on many occasions, such as during the sixth reading of the Va'etchanan. In Christianity, verses 6:4–5 are referenced by verses Mark 12:30–31 of the New Testament, and are referred to as the Great Commandment.

## Quotes
### Hebrew Bible

    See also: Shema Yisrael
* וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶךָ׃ וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל־לְבָבֶךָ׃ וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ׃ וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ׃ וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל־מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ׃
** Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (MT)
** Translations:
*** You shall love your God יהוה with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
**** JPS translation
*** And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
**** KJV translation
*** Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
**** NIV translation
*** You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. You shall keep these things that I command you today in your heart. Teach them to your children. You shall talk of them when you are sitting in your home, and when you are walking along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. Bind them as a reminder upon your hand, and wear them as a pendant between your eyes. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and your gates.
**** NCB translation
*** You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
**** NRSVUE translation

### New Testament

    See also: Great Commandment
* καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου.
** Mark 12:30 (SBL)
** Translation:
*** And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
**** KJV translation

### Commentary

    See also: Va'etchanan (Wikipedia)
* The opening verb form, ve-ahavta, rather than the imperative ehov, allows the prefixed vav to be taken as purposive. … The rest of the verse serves as a topic sentence for a corresponding threefold explication in the following verses—drawn from the key terms heart (לֵבָב‎, leivav), soul (נֶפֶשׁ‎, nefesh), and might (מְאֹד‎, meʾod)—that spells out the implementation of the command.
** Reuven Kimelman: "The Shema: Instructions for a Romance with YHWH". TheTorah.com (2022).
* Understanding the deeper meaning of each of these words—heart, soul, might—enhances the power of this central Jewish prayer.
** Rabbi Evan Moffic: "Veahavta: And You Shall Love". My Jewish Learning (2020).

## See also

* Great Commandment
* Shema Yisrael
* Tanakh#Deuteronomy