Sotah 31a begins with a discussion of R' Yehoshua ben Hurkenus' teaching about Job and how he worshipped Hashem out of fear. The gemara then attempts to learn that Job worshipped out of love in the same way that Avraham did, as R' Meir taught that it says Yirei Elokim by Avraham and by Job. Since the mention by Avraham indicates that his actions were borne out of love, so too were Job's actions borne out of love for Hashem.
The gemara then asks - what is the difference between one who follows Hashem's commandments out of fear of punishment and one who follows the laws because of his love of Hashem. The gemara answers that one who does so out of love receives a greater reward as the merits of his actions stand to protect his future generations for two thousand generations.
In defining the concept of what constitutes worship from love, the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 10:2) explains that one who worships from love learns Torah, does mitzvot and walks in the path of wisdom, not for a particular worldly purpose or because of fear of punishment or in order to receive a reward, rather he does these true acts because they are what need to be done and whatever goodness comes as a result will come.
Tosafos on the daf (d'h Gadol) does not refer to the discourse in the gemara at all. Rather, the Tosafos retells the story brought down in the Yerushalmi in Berachos in which R' Akiva was summoned for trial before Turnus Rufus. While awaiting trial, he read Shema at the proper time and then smiled. Turnus Rufus then said to him, "old man, old man" are you a cheresh or do you enjoy pain? R' Akiva responded that he was neither a cheresh nor did he enjoy pain. Rather, he indicated that he had previously recited the line in the Shema that "you shall love Hashem with all your heart, all your soul and all your resources." R' Akiva said that he had been able to fulfill worshipping with all his heart and all his resources, but not with all his soul. Now that he was awaiting trial before Turnus Rufus, he could fulfill loving Hashem with all his soul by publicly reciting the Shema at its proper time. It is taught that upon finishing this statement, R' Akiva's soul ascended to heaven.
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