JUDAISM IS ABOUT LOVE

An exploration of the role of love in Jewish scripture, ethics, and practice.

Held, president of the Hadar Institute and author of The Heart of the Torah, provides an erudite look at what lies at the heart of the Jewish faith. Noting that some view Judaism as based on justice, tradition, law, or other elements, the author argues convincingly that love is the central tenet. Held’s thesis stems from the concept of hesed, a theme in the Torah commonly translated as “lovingkindness.” Hesed is both an important aspect of God and a central command for God’s people. From it, the author identifies a wide variety of applications for love in Jewish thought as well as in daily life. Beginning with love within the family unit, he moves on to the love of neighbor, stranger, and enemy. Held explores human dignity in depth, seeing the creation of each person in God’s image as a basis for Jewish ethics. He also discusses love in the face of evil, asking how a God of love can be rationalized with the existence of widespread suffering. The author concludes that God provides us with the ability to love and, further, admonishes us to love; but in the end, he provides us with free will to do so or not. “God implants a capacity for love within us,” writes Held, “but God does not determine whether and how we exercise that capacity.” The author balances the academic strength of a scholar with the pastoral sensitivity of a rabbi. Readers will be intrigued by the dizzying array of references to Jewish teachers across the centuries, as well as philosophers, Christian theologians, and others, and he approaches topics such as family relations with practicality and nuance.

A highly literate, thought-provoking, persuasive argument for the centrality of love in the Jewish faith.