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Re: "Love" in the DSS



On Tue, 9 Apr 1996 07:39:01 -0400, HuldrychZ@aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated 96-04-09 01:03:18 EDT, you write:

>>(If I were advising a graduate student, I would consider it a mis-
>>take to encourage him/her to start from somewhere so far out in left field.)

>I "started in left field" because I assumed that as love for God is the first
>commandment, it would have a primary place among the Qumran sectarians.  I
>suppose it was erroneous logic on my part to assume that the commandments of
>Torah would be regarded as important at Qumran as well.

>Jim West

But "love for God" is not the first commandment, if you are referring to the
ten commandments. It's not "erroneous logic" (I suppose you've written that
ironically), but possibly an erroneous translation. Love to God is mentioned
in that commandment, "...to my lovers and the obeyers of my commands", but
not in a way that mekes it the main content of this commandment. On the other
hand, maybe you meant Deut. 5,5, which was discussed here already "and you
shall love YAHWEH your God with all your heart...". This is a command, but
in what sense do you consider it the first one?
                                                      Avinoam Mann