What is Love?
Vayikra — Leviticus — Chapter 19:18 (specifically)
I chose this passage because, it talks about loving your neighbor as yourself. In my opinion, since the first thought of love, there has been a question of what it means. From my experience, this means different things to different people. Because of this, in order to proceed in a logical fashion, we must agree that at a minimum, love means something that you care deeply for or benefit from by faining your care. If you proceed in your reading, you are agreeing to this definition and are willing to move forward in a logical sense, with this idea at the center.
The command is to love your neighbor as yourself, but it only commands you to love your neighbor as yourself. The assumption by most people is that everybody shows love to themselves by doing good things, which should lead to peace. Traveling through life, however, you will most certainly encounter people who do not have a high regard for themselves, that is to say that they have no self love. If these persons apply this biblical command from G-D, that we as Jews understand to be the only G-D that has ever existed and the same that brought the downtrodden from Egypt (whether you believe it to be actual or allegory); then would they not be living this command if they cause maltreatment to those that they encounter in the same fashion that they do for themselves?
If your idea is that because every soul was created for good you are right. To reject the idea that
the world has influence over the way that we love would be improper however. Because love is a verb, it
requires action and exercise in order to use it in the fashion that it was designed for. The problem
however, is that while it takes practice to love properly, the damage that can occur from being improperly
loved can remove the safeguards that keep people from spreading their self harm and affecting others.
When the perception becomes that nobody cares about one’s feelings, so that person does not have to care about other’s feelings, then the love they practice will be dangerous. Lack of love will undoubtedly establish a ceiling for what the person is willing to do, however the bottom will fall out and inequitable relationships occur. Take for example our 45th president, (my observation only and not judging), a person who presents as a narcissist, who is uncaring about the lives that he affects. Throughout his speeches he often speaks of love, those things and people are often fleeting and when the things no longer serve their purpose, he instantaneously devalues those things and positions them under his feet. By observing his behavior, we can establish a baseline for his love for himself and others, using this as a guide, would he not be living the command as it is stated?
In closing, I will offer this, instead of us assigning our view of love to people and admonishing them for treating people terribly, we must consider how they treat themselves, offer support where we can to change their self image. By doing this we not only help them [productively] love their neighbors as themselves but, then it may also help put to rest grudges and revenge thoughts because, the person can see themselves in other people, which means to say that they will be able to see the face of G-D or the goodness in others, because they are actively looking for good and not participating in guarded or hurtful behavior. Just my opinion. Thank you for your time and attention.
L’Shalom,
Nachshon
