August 7, 2024
The Power of Love
In the land of fantasy and imagination, we invoke love as the most powerful energy that exists. In movies, songs, poetry, we fully lean into the sentiment that love conquers all, right? However, do we bring this sentiment to our everyday lives and the ongoing challenges we face?
Let’s pivot for a moment to the Jewish calendar and how that teaches us about love and hate.
We are approaching what is known as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av. In Hebrew, this name literally translates as the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av. What makes this a time of mourning and sadness is that it is on this day that several calamities befell the Jewish people. The most devastating and notable of these tragedies is the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in 586 BCE and 70 CE. In response, we observe a day of communal mourning.
The Rabbis teach that the temples were destroyed because of Sinat Chinam, baseless hatred. As such, part of the spiritual process we undertake during Tisha B’Av, is to confront the phenomenon of baseless hatred. We consider this from both an individual and communal perspective. As Rabbi Lew, z’l (of blessed memory) teaches, in many ways, this begins the spiritual work of the High Holy Days. We begin to turn inward and take an honest look at who we have been in the past year.
Love. Hate. Righteousness. Evil. Good deeds. Selfishness.
As individuals, the idea of baseless hatred is difficult. Our negative feelings toward another person, seem firmly rooted in a reason. We have direct proof and evidence. Yet as our perspective widens, and individuals become faceless members of a group or cause, the ground for baseless hatred becomes fertile.. We see this playing out in real time all around us. So much negativity, criticism, othering. Hatred. Often baseless hatred.
So in addition to mourning personal and communal losses, Tisha B’Av also gives us the opportunity to understand our own role in fueling the forces of hate. And if we can add fuel to that fire, surely we can spend time on generating the power of LOVE.
In preparation for Tisha B’Av, I would like to share a few questions posed by Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay::
1. Who or what do I hate, for which I believe I have reason, but perhaps the reason is questionable?
2. What is one thing I can do to address this hatred and stop it?
3. What do I want to be able to say about the way I addressed this hatred when I stand before God on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
Tisha B’Av is a solemn and serious time of mourning and grappling. Yes . . . and, we rise from Tisha B’Av with clarity and hope. From this place we can also ask a fourth question:
4. Who or what do I love? How can I expand that love? How can I come more often from a place of lovingkindness?
Let’s move toward the light, toward transformation together and not forget the Power of Love.
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