Loving a fellow Jew and loving G-d

The Connection Between Ahavas Yisrael and Ahavas HaShem

The Zohar teaches that G-d, Torah and Israel are one. it therefore follows that the love for G-d (ahavas HaShem), the love for Torah (ahavas HaTorah), and ahavas Yisrael are one.[1] Since the essence of G-d, Torah and Israel is one, and an essence is indivisible; therefore, when one grasps a part of the essence one has the whole essence.[2]

For this reason:

1. Ahavas Yisrael is an indicator for ahavas HaShem, i.e., if a person is lacking in ahavas Yisrael, he is lacking in ahavas HaShem,[3] for one who loves the father should surely love the children.[4]

2. In ahavas Yisrael lies ahavas HaShem, i.e., ahavas Yisrael is a demonstration of ahavas HaShem. The soul of a Jew is literally a "part of the Divine"[5] as explained above in Tanya, chapter 32, and therefore when one loves the Divine within the Jew, that is actually ahavas HaShem.[6]

3. Ahavas Yisrael is the vessel for ahavas HaShem.[7] Through practicing ahavas Yisrael, one will eventually come to ahavas HaShem and ahavas HaTorah. One who works on his ahavas Yisrael will reach great heights in his ahavas HaShem.[8]

When one sees a Jew who only has ahavas Yisrael, one must see to it that: 1. he must also be brought to ahavas HaShem and ahavas HaTorah, and 2. his ahavas Yisrael should not only extend to feeding the needy, but should lead him to bring other Jews to ahavas HaShem and ahavas HaTorah.[9]

Between the three loves, ahavas HaShem, ahavas HaTorah and ahavas Yisrael, ahavas Yisrael is the greatest, for if one possesses true ahavas Yisrael, one automatically has ahavas HaShem and ahavas HaTorah. One who has ahavas HaShem does not necessarily have ahavas HaTorah, and one who has ahavas HaTorah does not necessarily have ahavas Yisrael.[10]

Ahavas Yisrael is greater than ahavas HaShem as the verse[11] itself testifies, "I love you, says G-d." Therefore when one has ahavas Yisrael, one loves that which the beloved G-d loves.[12]

Furthermore, the three loves correspond to the three pillars upon which the world stands:[13] Ahavas Yisrael corresponds to acts of kindness, ahavas HaTorah to Torah, and ahavas HaShem to avodah.[14]

A further comparison may be drawn from ahavas HaShem to ahavas Yisrael: The Sages[15] comment on the verse[16] "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d," that the imperative to love, ve'ahavta, suggests also that the name of the L-rd your G-d should become beloved through you, i.e., that others will come to love G-d through your actions. The same may be applied to ahavas Yisrael, i.e., that one's ahavas Yisrael should be in such a way that one's friend becomes beloved through you.[17]

The Resting of the Divine Presence (Shechinah)

When there is unity among the Jewish people:

1. the Shechinah rests with them.[18] When there is fragmentation,[19] the Shechinah removes itself for it cannot rest in an incomplete place.[20]

2. G-d does not look at the people's misdeeds.[21] The reason for this is that when Jews are together, the Shechinah rests between them, and the Shechinah itself does not wish to see its own defect. However when there is hatred among Jews (G-d forbid), there is a separation between the Shechinah and Israel, which causes G-d to see the misdeeds of Israel in general, and in particular, the misdeeds of the individual who is the source of the hatred.[22]

3. G-d fulfills the people's requests and listens to their prayers and supplications. The people of Israel are the children of G-d, and when the Father sees the children living with each other in a spirit of mutual love and care, each one putting aside his own worries in order to calm and offset the worries and needs of the other, then the Father takes great pleasure from his children and He works wonders to fulfill their requests.[23]

In this vein:

1. The blessings that are received and given at a Chassidishe farbrengen - a gathering in the true spirit of ahavas Yisrael - can arouse G-d's mercy even more than the angel Michoel can arouse on behalf of the Jewish people.[24]

2. When a Jew sighs over the troubles of another, that sigh has the power to break through partitions of steel which may be in heaven created by accusing angels, and conversely, the joy which one Jew expresses when he hears of the simchah of another and the blessing he gives him is accepted by G-d as much as the prayer of Rabbi Yochanan the High Priest when he entered the Holy of Holies.[25]

Quotes Love your fellow as yourself. (Vayikra 19:18) Rabbi Akiva said: "This is a great principle of the Torah." (Sifra, Vayikra 19) It is a Mitzvah for every person to love every individual of israel as he loves his own self, as it is written: "Love your fellow as yourself." hence, one must speak favorably of another and be considerate of his possessions as he is concerned for his own possessions and is zealous of his own honor. (Rambam, Hilchos Dei'os 6:3) Before prayer it is proper to say, "I take upon myself the positive commandment of 'Love your fellow as yourself.'" (Alter Rebbe, Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 12) The Baal Shem Tov said that Ahavas Yisrael is the first portal that leads into the court of G-d. (Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. 2, p. 412) The Maggid of Mezeritch said: the Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov frequently observed that love of Israel is love of G-d. "You are children of the L-rd your G-d," (Devarim 14:1); one who loves the father loves the children. (HaYom Yom, p. 81) The Alter Rebbe told his son the Mitteler Rebbe: "my 'grandfather' (the Baal Shem Tov) said that one must practice self-sacrifice for Ahavas Yisrael, even toward a person one has never seen." (HaYom Yom, p. 113) R. Elimelech related what he had heard from the Maggid, "Do you know, Melech, what they say in the Mesivta in heaven? Ahavas Yisrael means loving the absolutely wicked like the perfectly saintly." (Sefer HaSichos 5700, p. 117) Accustom yourself to instill a love of humans in your heart, even the wicked, as though they are your brothers, and even more, to the point that love of all humanity will be implanted in your heart, to love even the wicked in your heart. say: "If only these righteous people would repent! they would all be great and acceptable to G-d." Moshe Rabbeinu, who loved all Israel faithfully, declared: if only all G-d's people were prophets.... (R. Moshe Cordovero, Tomar Devorah, ch. 2) The Alter Rebbe quoting the Maggid in the name of the Baal Shem Tov: Ahavas Yisrael means cherishing another without discrimination, whether the other is learned or simple. it is to be a love of brothers, expressed in embrace, manifesting itself in osculation, just as love of Torah is expressed in the way a Sefer Torah cover is treasured. (Sefer HaMaamarim 5708, p. 192)

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5700, p. 2ff.; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 499. This is, in fact, the true meaning behind Hillel's comment to the ger that the entire Torah is ahavas Yisrael. In truth, the ger, whose intentions for conversion were sincere, was asking Hillel for a path in the service of G-d and was asking for the one key teaching. Hillel should really have answered him, "Love the L-rd your G-d." Hillel in fact taught him something deeper, that in fact ahavas Yisrael and ahavas HaShem are one (Sefer HaSichos, ibid.).

2. (Back to text) A teaching from the Baal Shem Tov quoted in the Maamar HaShamayim Kissee 5668 printed in Sefer HaMaamarim 5666, p. 522. See also Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Parshas Yisro, on the mitzvah of "I am the L-rd your G-d." Comment of Rabbi Yaakov Emden on Pirkei Avos 4:2.

3. (Back to text) And there will be no lasting substance in his ahavas HaShem (Likkutei Sichos, ibid.).

4. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, p. 81, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov. See also Sefer HaSichos, ibid., p. 3; Sefer HaMaamarim 5710, p. 105.

5. (Back to text) Tanya, ch. 2.

6. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, p. 78, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov.

7. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, p. 93. See also Sefer HaSichos 5700, p. 3; Likkutei Sichos, vol. 2, p. 498; HaTamim, vol. 4, p. 45.

8. (Back to text) There are also many Jews who are rich in the knowledge of Torah but who are lacking in yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven). Even though the Torah they learn has failed to imbue them with a spirit of yiras Shamayim; nevertheless, through ahavas Yisrael which stems from the essence of the soul, one will arouse one's own essence to yiras Shamayim (Sichah of the 12th of Tammuz 5723).

9. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, ibid.

10. (Back to text) Sichah of Shabbos Parshas Ki Savo 5705, printed in Kovetz Lubavitch, Vol. 9, p. 57. See Introduction to this book.

11. (Back to text) Malachi 1:2.

12. (Back to text) HaYom Yom, p. 49. In Sefer HaSichos 5702, p. 12, it is written that G-d overlooks our lack of ahavas HaShem in favor of our ahavas Yisrael. See Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 3, pp. 425, 437.

13. (Back to text) Pirkei Avos 1:2.

14. (Back to text) Extracted from a letter of the Rebbe, Adar 5723.

15. (Back to text) Yoma 86a.

16. (Back to text) Devarim 6:5.

17. (Back to text) Sichah of the Seventh Day of Pesach, 5705.

18. (Back to text) This is termed in the Kabbalah the Yichud of Kudsha Brich Hu and His Shechinah, for the Shechinah is the source of the souls of Israel. See Tanya, ch. 32; Derech Mitzvosecha, p. 29a; Or HaTorah, Chanukah, p. 312b. The Tzemach Tzedek in Or HaTorah (ibid.) explains the mishneh in Pirkei Avos 5:10; "What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours - this is the am haaretz" (see text ibid.) to mean: The words "am haaretz" can literally be translated as a "person of the land," i.e., attached to the physical. Ahavas Yisrael demands an elevation of the soul over the body, and one whose body is primary and who therefore says "What is mine is mine" is an am haaretz.

19. (Back to text) This is the inner meaning of the saying, "Your departure is difficult for Me" quoted in the commentary of Rashi, Parshas Emor 23:36, for grammatically it should have read, "Our departure (from each other)." The meaning is that when Israel are together, G-d is with them; however, when there is fragmentation and they depart from each other, this is "difficult" for G-d, as this causes the Shechinah to depart from them. Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 433.

20. (Back to text) Zohar, Vol. 3, p. 90b.

21. (Back to text) He does see them but they are ignored, as it says in the verse (Bamidbar 23:21): "He does not look at iniquity in Yaakov."

22. (Back to text) Derech Mitzvosecha, ibid.

23. (Back to text) Kovetz Michtavim printed at the back of the Tehillim Yosef Yitzchok (Kehot), p. 199, in the name of the Alter Rebbe. See also Sefer HaSichos 5700, p. 157.

24. (Back to text) Kovetz Michtavim, ibid.; Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 3, p. 412; Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. 3, p. 564b in the name of the Baal Shem Tov. In that letter the Previous Rebbe relates a story heard from Reb Hillel of Paritch who heard the story from Reb Zalman Zezmer: Once, the chassidim of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk were having a farbrengen and they were repeating some of the Torah they had heard from the Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezeritch. The Alter Rebbe was also there at the farbrengen. After they had repeated the teaching three times, they continued to farbreng and drink mashkeh (liquor). In the middle of the farbrengen, one of the chassidim who suffered from an illness for which the doctors could not find any cure, stood up, and with tears in his eyes requested a blessing from the other chassidim for a "refuah shleimah" (a speedy recovery). After hearing his request, a number of the chassidim started to laugh at him. "Do you think we have the power to give a blessing?" some said. Others accused him of putting his faith in simple folk when the power to bless has only been invested in righteous individuals. The chassid, however, was unperturbed and continued to request a blessing. He then broke down in tears and to calm him down somebody began to sing. The Alter Rebbe stood up and announced, "Sha! Sha!" All went quiet and even the chassid stopped crying. "My brothers and friends," said the Alter Rebbe, "have you forgotten the saying that fell from heaven to the holy fraternity of the Maggid of Mezeritch, that a Chassidishe farbrengen can achieve even more than the angel Michoel?" Immediately, the entire company was set afire with these words and they all blessed the chassid with a refuah shleimah.

    Reb Zalman related further to Reb Hillel that the idea that a Chassidishe farbrengen can achieve more than the angel Michoel was once explained by the Alter Rebbe with the following parable: The way of small children is that they want to keep a good thing for themselves and not share it with others. They are particular with what is theirs and they are naturally jealous of what belongs to their friends. Then there are children who look unfavorably at others, get angry with them, and possess bad character traits. From such children, a father has much pain. Therefore when a father wants to educate his children, he searches for a good teacher. After a while with the teacher, the father investigates the conduct of the children. He sees that the children are at peace with each other, love each other, and worry about each other, sometimes even more than themselves. Upon seeing this, the father has tremendous nachas (joy) from his children and will work wonders to fulfill the requests of the children, not to mention the reward he will give the teacher. Reb Zalman then said to Reb Hillel, "A blessing given by chassidim can arouse more mercy than an arousal of mercy by the angel Michoel." Reb Hillel then added his own interpretation of this idea: In addition to the fact that the blessing of chassidim at a farbrengen can have a physical effect in the three areas of children, health and livelihood - even more than the angel Michoel - the Chassidishe farbrengen has a tremendous spiritual effect on the life and conduct of one's children. The delight G-d has from this is supreme!

    The Previous Rebbe also explains there in Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. 3, p. 1129, that the souls of Israel are in fact on a greater level than those of the angels. See also Igros Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 2, p. 119.

25. (Back to text) Sefer HaSichos 5703, p. 161, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov.