ABSTRACT
Deuteronomy serves as an important source for many later authorities. The cause of Israel's love for God appears as God's request,25 and moreover as His commandment.26 Furthermore, love for God is expressed through carrying out the commandments.27 This kind of love, which is manifested through the fulfillment of precepts, obedience and submission to God's will is called by scholars nomos. Obedience to God is manifested through keeping the
commandments, because they express God's will. Subservience to God's will is also expressed through piety and devotion which can reach the degree of the believer's readiness to sacrifice himself or his most beloved thing in order to please God. There is no wonder thus that Abraham is the best example of such love.28 Although Abraham is called in Genesis 22.13 God-fearing, PostBiblical tradition regards his consent to sacrifice his son the greatest act of love for God. 29 In like manner, Isaac loves God, and Jacob is also considered the lover of God.30 Thus in loving God a believer - for example Job - should be ready to suffer and to bear his sufferings in patience,31 a notion to be found later in SUfic literature.
