When a person longs to achieve something that is difficult to achieve, it is usually distressing and confusing. Nevertheless, although God is unattainable, one’s love for Him does not confuse the soul, but brings it joy. The highest form of love is when the individual considers only what is good and beneficial to his beloved, without thinking of his own interests.

Loving God brings joy to the individual:

Love of God brings delight and joy to the soul. When it is impossible or very difficult to grasp the object of one’s love, the soul is usually troubled and confused, thinking of ways to attain the object of his love. Because of this, those who desire are always sad and troubled until they attain the object of their desire. However, love of God, although He is impossible to grasp, neither troubles nor confuses the soul; rather, the soul will rejoice, delight, and derive great pleasure from the small measure that he grasps.

Absolute love contains no selfish element; it is purely for the sake of the beloved:

Love that is for the benefit of the lover is like the love that a person has for animals, which results from the great benefit one derives from them. Love due to the protection from harm one receives is comparable to the love that a person has for dogs, which results from their protecting him from harm. Absolute love is when one loves another for the sake of the beloved alone, and has no purpose other than to fulfill the will of the beloved, whom he loves for no other reason…And since this is the highest kind of love, and is found only among those who possess wisdom and understanding [i.e., humans], one is to be praised or criticized on account of it [concerning the extent of one’s selfless love for God]. (Rav Yosef Albo, Sefer HaIkkarim 3:36)

The perfectly pious person is one who loves God. This love can be assessed in ten different ways:

One’s love may be assessed in ten ways with respect to the nature of the love: (1) One loves God’s Torah. (2) One gains more pleasure from serving God than from any other kind of pleasure. (3) One abhors those who abhor the Creator and loves those who love Him. (4) One’s love for the good in this world is like nothing to him when compared with serving the Creator. (5) Any exertion, loss, or suffering involved in loving God seems sweet to him. (6) One does not place any of his own concerns before those of God. (7) One tells others of his love for God and glories in it. (8) One does not listen to those who incite or tempt him from the service of God. (9) No matter what happens to him, good or bad, one does not abandon the service of God. (10) One does not serve [God] in order to receive a reward, because this would mean that his service is contingent on something. When these ten attributes are integrated within a person, he is considered one who loves God, and he is entirely pious. (Sefer HaYashar, 2)

A great rabbi once said to the saintly Rabbi Avraham of Stretin: I have heard tell that the honored rabbi gives out spiritual remedies [segulot], and that his segulot are effective. I beg him for a segula that will help me to fear Heaven.

The saintly one answered him: I have no segula for fear of Heaven, but I do have one for love of Heaven.

The rabbi said: But love of Heaven is an even higher level than fear of Heaven. Would the honored rabbi give me this segula?

Rabbi Avraham replied: A great segula for love of Heaven is love of Israel. One who loves the Jewish people can easily come to love of Heaven.

Love of God is the ultimate objective of all our attributes and the culmination of all the levels of those who serve God. It is as though all character traits are on a ladder that leads to the level of love…there is nothing above it. (Orĥot Tzaddikim, Sha’ar HaAhava)

When, due to his understanding, the believer’s heart is emptied of his love of this world and consciously and rationally freed from his desires, then love of the Creator will come to rest in his heart and will be ingrained in his soul. (Rabbeinu Baĥya ibn Pekuda, Ĥovot HaLevavot 10, Introduction)

One must do everything in his power to direct his thoughts at all times, so that there is not even one moment, day or night, when he does not remember his wholehearted love for God. (Sefer HaĤinnukh 418)

The purpose of the mitzvot is to come to love of God. (Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, Sefat Emet, Ekev 5658)

“You shall love” (Deuteronomy 6:5); search for closeness to God by giving of your entire self. Closeness to God must be everything to you, and not just a means of attaining your desires. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch)