In fact, acts of love and kindness
are so much a part of Jewish law that the word "mitzvah" (literally,
"commandment") is commonly used to mean any good deed.
The Talmud tells a story of Rabbi Hillel, A pagan came to him saying
that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole
of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot. Rabbi Hillel
replied, "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man.
That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study
it."
Love is any of a number of emotions and
experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound
oneness. Depending on context, love can have a wide variety of
intended meanings. Romantic love is seen as a deep, ineffable
feeling of intense and tender attraction shared in passionate or
intimate attraction and intimate interpersonal and sexual
relationships. Love can also be conceived of as Platonic love,
religious love, familial love, and, more casually, great affection
for anything considered strongly pleasurable, desirable, or
preferred, including activities and foods.
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death. |
