According to Rambam (Hilchos Yesode HaTorah 2:2), when a person contemplates G-d's works and wondrous creations, and sees that G-d's wisdom is without end, he is immediately brought to love of G-d. It is for this reason, says Rambam, that he concludes the remainder of chapter two of Hilchos Yesode HaTorah, as well as chapters three and four, with a description of G-d's creations, including the planets, constellations, and elements. The works of G-d, says Rambam, provide a doorway for the intelligent to love G-d. Hence, according to Rambam, the scientific study of the natural world is the means for attaining ahavas Hashem (Love of G-d).

Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi, in his comment to Deuteronomy 6:6, takes issue with Rambam's opinion on how to reach love of G-d. According to Mizrachi, Rambam's words contradict a Midrash that is found in the Sifri. In the krias shema we read, "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart." The Sifri (Va'eschanan 33) asks why the latter of these two verses was said, and answers that the verse comes to teach a person how to attain love of G-d. The Sifri concludes that because "these words will be in thy heart," a person will recognize G-d and cling to His ways. Mizrachi understands the phrase "these words" as referring to the mitzvos (commandments). Therefore, Mizrachi interprets the Sifri to be saying that as a result of placing the mitzvos in one's heart, one comes to love of G-d. Hence, Mizrachi finds Rambam's idea that one comes to love of G-d by studying G-d's works to be at odds with the teachings of the midrash.

Mizrachi explains how he believes one can come to love of G-d through the commandments. He says that if the world were eternal, G-d would not command us. The fact that G-d gave us commandments, therefore, proves that the world is not eternal. Since we know that the world is not eternal, it must be that G-d created the world. Once we are aware that G-d created the world, we come to love G-d.

Apparently not wanting to contradict Rambam altogether, Mizrachi goes on to offer a synthesis between Rambam's opinion that one needs to study G-d's works, and his own understanding of the midrash in the Sifri. If a person performs the commandments, says Mizrachi, he will investigate the fact that the Commander created the world. He will then try to understand G-d's works and wondrous creations. The person will come to see G-d's wisdom and come to love G-d. According to this opinion, the fulfillment of G-d's commandments leads to love of Hashem only indirectly. It is the study of G-d's works and the resulting realization of G-d's wisdom that leads one directly to the love of G-d.

It is interesting to note that Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler of blessed memory explained that doing mitzvos leads to love of Hashem, but in a completely different fashion. According to Rabbi Dessler, a person loves someone whom he gives to. To demonstrate this idea, Rabbi Dessler recounts the story of a couple with a young son who became separated because of war. The young child remained with his father during the years of the war and the three were reunited only when the war ended. Rabbi Dessler notes that the love between father and son was deeper than that between the mother and son. The years the father had spent lavishing upon his son thousands of acts of kindness resulted in the father experiencing a stronger attachment to the child than the mother had. The fact that the mother missed out on all those years of giving caused her to be deprived of the feelings of love that spring from giving. In similar fashion, says Rabbi Dessler, when a person does mitzvos to the best of his ability, he becomes in a sense a "giver"  to G-d, as it were. By doing mitzvos and thereby giving to Hashem, the person becomes attached to Hashem in love.