(ה)...הַתּוֹרָה הִיא רְפוּאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ג׳:ח׳): רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶךָ; כִּי בְּהַתּוֹרָה יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי כֹּחוֹת: סַם חַיִּים וְסַם מָוֶת
(5) ...the Torah is called a cure, as it is written (Proverbs 3:8), “It shall be a healing for your navel.” For there is a dual force in the Torah: [it can be] an elixir of life or a potion of death.
THE GREAT LOVE STORY
(קו) ... רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, (ישעיהו ס״ו:י׳) שִׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַם וְגִילוּ בָהּ כָּל אוֹהֲבֶיהָ שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ וְגו'. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד אִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא וְגָרְמוּ חוֹבִין, וְאִתְגָּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא, (ויקרא ע"ה ע"א) אִסְתַּלַּק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח עַל חָרוּב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְעַל עַמֵּיהּ דְּאִתְגָּלוּ, וּכְדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְגַּלְּיָיא עִמְּהוֹן.
(קז) כַּד נָחַת, אַשְׁגַּח עַל בֵּיתֵיהּ דְּאִתּוֹקַד, אִסְתַּכַּל עַל עַמֵּיהּ וְהָא אִתְגְּלִי. שָׁאַל עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא וְאִתְתָּרְכַת. כְּדֵין וַיִּקְרָא ה' אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לִבְכִי וּלְמִסְפֵּד וּלְקָרֵחָה וְלַחֲגֹר שָׂק. וְהִיא גַּם הִיא מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ, (יואל א׳:ח׳) אֱלִי כִּבְתוּלָה חֲגֻרַת שַׂק עַל בַּעַל נְעוּרֶיהָ. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ, בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלַּק מִינָהּ, וְאִשְׁתַּכַּח פִּירוּדָא.
Zohar 1:120a
Rabbi Chiyya opened, "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her! Rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her (Isaiah 66:10). Come and see: When the Temple was destroyed and sins proved decisive and Israel was exiled from the land, the Blessed Holy One withdrew above, above--not looking upon the destruction of the Temple or upon the people who had been exiled. Then, Shekhinah went into exile with them. Then He descended. He looked upon his House, it was burnt. He gazed at his people--they were in exile. He asked after Matronita--She was driven away. Then, Adonai, God of Hosts, summoned on that day to weeping and mourning, to tonsuring and girding with sackcloth (Isaiah 22:12)." Of her, too, what is written? "Girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth (Joel 1:8), as is said: "For He is no more (Jer. 31:15), because He had withdrawn from Her and there was a separation.
אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, ... שֶׁכָּל הַכְּתוּבִים קֹדֶשׁ, וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים.
Rabbi Akiba said: ...all the writings are holy but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies.
(ג) אֲנִ֤י לְדוֹדִי֙ וְדוֹדִ֣י לִ֔י ...
(3) I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine...
(ב) אֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר ק֣וֹל ׀ דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק ...
(2) I was asleep but my heart was wakeful. Hark, my beloved knocks!...
ליקוטים יקרים, ס’ פ”ג
Likkutim Yekarim #83; Sefat Emet, Shekalim 5655
,זה כלל גדול: בכל מה שיש בעולם יש נצוצות קדושה, אין דבר ריק מהניצוצין אפילו עצים ואבנים
.אפילו המעשים שאדם עושה, אפילו עבירה שאדם עושה, יש בו ניצוצות מהשבירה
ומה היא הניצוצות מהשבירה? היא התשובה. בשעה שעושה תשובה על העבירה מעלה הניצוצות
שהיה בה לעולם העליון
The Sefat Emet, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger (1847-1905)
This is a fundamental principle: in everything in creation, there exists sparks of holiness. No thing, nothing is devoid of these sparks, even trees and stones. And, also in every human deed, even in a sin that one might commit, there is a spark from the original shattering.
What is the spark of the sin? It is teshuvah. At the moment that we do teshuvah for a particular sin, we raise up the sparks that are in it to the supernal world.
(translation via the Institute for Jewish Spirituality)
FIRST MENTION OF *ROMANTIC* LOVE IN THE TORAH
(סז) וַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֙הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
(67) Isaac then brought [Rebekah] into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac loved her, and thus found comfort after his mother’s death.
Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned
But just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die...
Try by Jewish artist P!nk
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה זָכוּ שְׁכִינָה בֵּינֵיהֶן לֹא זָכוּ אֵשׁ אוֹכַלְתָּן...
Rabbi Akiva taught: If a man [ish] and woman [isha] merit reward through a faithful marriage, the Divine Presence rests between them. The words ish and isha are almost identical; the difference between them is the middle letter yod in ish, and the final letter heh in isha. These two letters can be joined to form the name of God spelled yod, heh. But if they do not merit reward, the Divine Presence departs, leaving in each word only the letters alef and shin, which spell esh, fire. Therefore, fire consumes them....
TRAUMA ECHOES
FIRST MENTION OF LOVE IN THE TORAH
(א) וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶ֨ךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
(1) Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test, saying to him, “Abraham.” He answered, “Here I am.” (2) “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.”
Rebekah, Isaac's love, echoes the trauma of Isaac's father by betraying Isaac:
(ו) וְרִבְקָה֙ אָֽמְרָ֔ה אֶל־יַעֲקֹ֥ב בְּנָ֖הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֤ה שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־אָבִ֔יךָ מְדַבֵּ֛ר אֶל־עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִ֖יךָ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ז) הָבִ֨יאָה לִּ֥י צַ֛יִד וַעֲשֵׂה־לִ֥י מַטְעַמִּ֖ים וְאֹכֵ֑לָה וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי׃ (ח) וְעַתָּ֥ה בְנִ֖י שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֑י לַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י מְצַוָּ֥ה אֹתָֽךְ׃ (ט) לֶךְ־נָא֙ אֶל־הַצֹּ֔אן וְקַֽח־לִ֣י מִשָּׁ֗ם שְׁנֵ֛י גְּדָיֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים טֹבִ֑ים וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂ֨ה אֹתָ֧ם מַטְעַמִּ֛ים לְאָבִ֖יךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהֵֽב׃ (י) וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ לְאָבִ֖יךָ וְאָכָ֑ל בַּעֲבֻ֛ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְבָרֶכְךָ֖ לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתֽוֹ׃... (טו) וַתִּקַּ֣ח רִ֠בְקָ֠ה אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֨י עֵשָׂ֜ו בְּנָ֤הּ הַגָּדֹל֙ הַחֲמֻדֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתָּ֖הּ בַּבָּ֑יִת וַתַּלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּנָ֥הּ הַקָּטָֽן׃ (טז) וְאֵ֗ת עֹרֹת֙ גְּדָיֵ֣י הָֽעִזִּ֔ים הִלְבִּ֖ישָׁה עַל־יָדָ֑יו וְעַ֖ל חֶלְקַ֥ת צַוָּארָֽיו׃ (יז) וַתִּתֵּ֧ן אֶת־הַמַּטְעַמִּ֛ים וְאֶת־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑תָה בְּיַ֖ד יַעֲקֹ֥ב בְּנָֽהּ׃ (יח) וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־אָבִ֖יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנֶּ֔נִּי מִ֥י אַתָּ֖ה בְּנִֽי׃ (יט) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־אָבִ֗יו אָנֹכִי֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֵלָ֑י קֽוּם־נָ֣א שְׁבָ֗ה וְאׇכְלָה֙ מִצֵּידִ֔י בַּעֲב֖וּר תְּבָרְכַ֥נִּי נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
(6) Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I overheard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying, (7) ‘Bring me some game and prepare a dish for me to eat, that I may bless you, with יהוה’s approval, before I die.’ (8) Now, my son, listen carefully as I instruct you. (9) Go to the flock and fetch me two choice kids, and I will make of them a dish for your father, such as he likes. (10) Then take it to your father to eat, in order that he may bless you before he dies.”.... Rebekah then took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were there in the house, and had her younger son Jacob put them on; (16) and she covered his hands and the hairless part of his neck with the skins of the kids. (17) Then she put in the hands of her son Jacob the dish and the bread that she had prepared.
Romantic Love delivers us into the passionate arms of someone who will ultimately trigger the same frustrations we had with our parents (or other caregivers)....,but for the best possible reason! Doing so brings our childhood wounds to the surface so they can be healed.
Harville Hendrix, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Making Marriage Simple
BONUS CONTENT:
Agency: The Moment of Choice
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
First Things First, by Stephen Covey (probably based on the Rollo May quote below)
Freedom is the individual’s capacity to know that he is the determined one, to pause between stimulus and response and thus to throw his weight, however slight it may be, on the side of one particular response among several possible ones...
Indeed I would define mental health as the capacity to be aware of the gap between stimulus and response, together with the capacity to use this gap constructively.
The Courage to Create, Behavioral Science and Guidance: Proposals and Perspectives, Rollo May
(ו) הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י...
(6) You have made my life just handbreadths long...
The early chasidic master Reb Simcha Bunim Peshischa explained Psalms 39:6 saying: when you measure cord by hand, all the handbreadths together make up the length of the rope. But all you hold in any one moment is one tefach, one "handbreadth" at a time. The handbreadth just counted is already released and the one we are about to count is not yet in hand.
It is the same with time.
The present has been released.
The future is not within our grasp.
All we have is this moment, this handbreadth of time.