What does every parent want from their children? That they should all get along. In this week’s “Words of Inspiration with Reb Shea,” he explains why the first thing we daven for prior to the tefillos is the mitzvah of loving your fellow Jew as your self.

A little boy once asked his father why do we start with this commandment? Shouldn’t we start by asking Hashem for forgiveness? Or by declaring our devotion to Him? The wise father explained that Hashem is our father and what every father desires is for his offspring to get along.

So in essence, when we daven and say this declaration, we are telling Hashem that we want to pray to him, but please know that we love his children- our fellow brothers and sisters. This pleases Hashem and now we may begin to daven.