ב"ה

The Kabbalah of Love

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Kabbalah of Love

We are commanded to love every Jew at all times. But is this really doable? And what exactly is this love that is demanded of us?
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Self & Fellow, Love, Ahavat Yisrael, Tanya

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10 Comments
Armando How Philippines April 18, 2017

Love is a commitment. Period. Reply

Victor Freytas May 15, 2016

My belief is that the main source of love is, and comes from G-d ... but he does gives it a diversity turning it into different forms.. For a example: a sibling's love, a carnal love, a love of friendship and any other kind of love, is still just one love coming from G-d who himself is love and the creator of it.. If I am wrong, please correct me, as I want to learn and want to be right on this subject.... Thanks.. Reply

Ben February 25, 2016

Pure love to all creatures of the almighty
Loving a fellow Jew makes you inevitably love all other creatures of hashem so yes in that way we have no choice but love non Jews and all creatures either
On the other hand if we do not love a gentile or a creature of the almighty like we should or a creature og Hashem it is because we did not master enough love for a specific Jew and we have to search deep in our heart why and correct that by correcting that even the soul or body of another Jew or creature of hashem will benefit because Jewish souls and bodies also give wisdom and light up all the other creatures of hashem
this can be achieved with the teaching of the Seven Nohahic laws to gentiles this in itself is pure love since it is the word of the almighty like a kiss on all
his creations
Our purpose as jews is also to elevate meaning love all creatures of hashem you can not elevate a creature of the almighty with out love
certainly love is associated with the seven laws of Noah and the 613 commandments of the almighy Reply

Michael Naftaliev Vienna April 29, 2015

'Interruptions' To all those commenting about the interruptions, this is titled an interview, but I consider it moreso a publicized Havruta session. Judaic learning and Halacha is based on dialogue rather than speeches and lectures. The student can teach the professor as well as the vice versa. Michael Kigel is acting as his audience here and even if he does not wish to interrupt on his own behalf, he has to do that as the voice of his audience, where he would assume that others (particularly those of the secular audience) would have questions or arguments against the points spoken. Thank you Prof. Kigel for this interview as well as all the others. Reply

Ana August 21, 2014

How much I would like if nobody interrrupt when Rabbi Friedman is talking. He has wonderful messages. Reply

Thalia Elvidge USA August 18, 2014

At 6:47 of 16:08 of the discussion; I have to ask Manis Friedman and Michael Kigel to please explain how a tree cannot love or be loved. Holy scripture is to be obeyed! G-od says ' If you love me, you obey my commandments and oracles!' So if G-od commands a tree to bear fruit in its due season then it( the tree) has love for G-d; dose it not? Also the psalms tell and teach us rightly,' Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise!' Then also G-od's prophet says, 'You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!' I want to learn of love. Even if a living organisim can love then how much more should we His crown of creation love Adoni with joy? I am like a Samaritan, as I not a true Jewess but have Jewish family. Please teach me truth. Reply

john toronto, canada May 3, 2010

love Love is such a vague term that can have multiple meanings. The love of God for instance has nothing to do with love of self, or of other creatures. Abraham loved his nephew Lot and was willing to fight and go to war at personal risk of life, just to save him from the evil kings. Boaz loved Ruth his bride. Both Lot and Ruth where not jews yet the rightous loved them (Lot and Ruth rightous gentiles). the mitzvah of Love I think goes far beyond exclusive love for jews. In fact we are to appreciate all life forms, and view life as having sanctity. We must love every single animal as well. every high animal and low animal. Even the love of plants and abiotic ecological materials ought to be loved just because a loving G-d has given us the right to manage and use them. (not to abuse them). We ought to love gentiles too, who have rights under the eyes of their creator the G-d of the world, the very same G-d of Israel, the creator of all the creatures. Reply

Anonymous edmonton AB, canada December 14, 2008

these messages are wonderful and very illuminating. I have difficulty with the constant interruptions on the part of R. Kiegel. Reply

Tzvi Freeman Thornhill, Canada September 5, 2008

Re: the kabbalistic approach No, we are not. On the contrary, the Torah demands of us "Know the G_d of your fathers." We fulfill that mitzvah through study of selected teachings of the Kabbalah, the mainstream theology of Judaism.

For some elucidation, please see The Truth About the Baal Shem Tov. Start from the line: "Kabbalah is as central to Judaism as the sun is to the solar system"

What we are told to stay away from is philosophy, science and culture of the non-Jewish world. Today, when that has become next to impossible, there is an even greater need for every Jew to be familiar with his native theology. Reply

Aaron Los Angeles, CA USA September 2, 2008

the kabbalistic approach Mysticism is the pursuit of achieving communion, identity with, or conscious awareness of ultimate reality, the Other, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight.

Are we not commanded to stay away from these teachings? Reply

Host, Michael Chighel, talks to some of the world's greatest experts about the masterpiece of Hasidic thought, the book of Tanya.
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