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COLORWORKS STUDIO OF INTERIOR DESIGN

Love Is More
In Our Tradition

RABBI DAVID WOLPE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

As we begin our 18th year,
we thank you for making our studio
your preference for excellence in
interior design, new construction
expertise, fine furnishings & efficient service.

We look forward to working with you as we continue to grow!

•

32500 Northwestern Highway • Farmington Hills • 851-7540

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COOKIES

CROISSANTS

MUFFINS

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COOKIE BOUQUETS

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AND MORE!

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FOR LIKE-NEW
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WE SHIP ANYWHERE!

310 E. MAPLE • BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009 • 810.540.1770

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BAS SONOVA

Buy from the
manufacturer

L7

4 4

DESIGNER

fashions
& accessories

CONSIGNMENT
CLOTHIERS

Ca II today for a FEE
housecall appt. or
in-store appt.

347-4570

43041 W. 7 Mile • Northville .)

SALE

— 3

CC

Lu

Cy Lisnov

Selected gab colors & novelties
Pants $55.00
Blazers $50.00-$75.00
Spring pants & vests now in stock

EVERY SATURDAY 10 am-4pm

COMFORT INN FARMINGTON HILLS
(12 Mile Just East of Orchard Lake Rd.)

(810) 471-9220

56

[Mon-Fri call (810) 754-6360]

271 West Maple
Downtown Birmingham
258.0212
Mon-Sat 10-6 • Thurs 10-9

ove is not a Jewish word.
"Love" is an English word,
and English is not a Jewish
language. English arose in
Christian lands, and English
words often carry Christian con-
notations.
Many Jews do not think of love
as a Jewish concept. In fact, Jew-
ish teachings are full of love.
Perhaps the most famous ex-
hortation of love in history, "you
shall love your neighbor as your-
self' comes from Leviticus (19:18).
Rabbi Akiva pronounces this the
fundamental principle of the
Torah. In other words, our great-
est rabbinic sage teaches that love
is at the foundation of the Jewish
tradition.
Rabbi Akiva also speaks of
God's love. "It was with love that
God made human beings in the
Divine image" he says, "but it was
with special love that God let us
know that we were made in the
Divine image. "Human love is
fundamental to Torah, and divine
love is the foundation of human
existence."
In the prayers, we speak con-
stantly of love. "Ahavah Rabbah"
with a great love, we pray, God
has loved us. In return, "V'shavta.
et Hashem" you should love the
Lord your God. The reciprocal
flow of love is the dynamic of
Jewish faith.
Love is more than emotion in
the Jewish tradition. Love is also
deliberate action. To love another
is to make a declaration of treat-
ment: One should not only feel
love, but act with love. Emotion
alone is insufficient. Love involves
understanding the other, and
treating another with kindness.
Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov
told his disciples he had learned
the meaning of love from two vil-
lagers. One asked the other "Tell
me, do you love me?" The other
said "I love you deeply, my friend."
The first then asked "Do you
know what gives me pain?" The
second responded, "How can I
know what gives you pain?" You
see, said the Rabbi, to truly love
is to know what pains your
beloved. We might add, and to
do what one can to ease that
pain.
Judaism speaks with many
voices of many different kinds of
love. The love of God, of friends,
romantic love — all find their
place along with many other
kinds of love within Judaism's
wide compass of teachings. The
love of friends is poignantly de-

Rabbi David Wolpe is the
assistant to the chancellor of the
Jewish Theological Seminary.

picted in the biblical tale of David
and Jonathan. Romantic love is
the theme of the lyrical "Songs of
Songs." Love that has waned is
captured in a beautiful Talmudic
epigram: "When our love was
strong, we could have made our
bed on the edge of a sword. Now
that we are estranged, a bed of 60
cubits is not large enough for us"
(Sanhedrin 7a)
Judaism is a tradition of good-
ness, learning and law, driven by
the engine of love. Passion is no
stranger to our tradition. Rela-
tionship lies at the core of all we
are supposed to do. Why should
we care for this world? For it is in-
habited by human beings, who
are the beloved of God.
The great modern sage, Rav
Kook, once asked what will bring
the third Temple. The Talmud
taught that the previous Temple
was destroyed by baseless hatred
so, he reasoned, it can only be re-

Passion is no
stranger to our
tradition...
Relationship lies
at the core of all we
are supposed
to do.

built by Ahavat Hinnom — base-
less love. Let us love for no cause
other than the wonder of love it-
self, Rav Kook teaches, and the
world will be transformed.
Judaism is wrapped up in
action. Behavior is the ultimate
arbiter of a well-lived life. But love
in Judaism encompasses behavior
and emotion. One should feel love
toward a God who has granted us
this world in which we can strug-
gle with our souls to love other
human beings.
Can we always love others? No.
Judaism is a realistic tradition
and seeks to ensure that we
behave well no matter our inner
inclinations.
Human beings have always
loved, with all the marvel and im-
balance of that complex state.
And it is love, love which is based
on nothing, pure love, which the
rabbis teach us in Pirke Avoth,
will last forever. Such love is time-
less, and draws the disparate
strands of life into one beautiful
tapestry. As Martin Buber writes,
"He who loves brings God and the
world together." ❑

