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GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Shira Smiles Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi

Love is Not

for Free!

hat is ahavat chinam (usually Geula. In other words, the Geula will, auto- a new song in one’s heart and teach it over
translated as baseless love, matically, be attracted to the love. and over again to anyone who will listen.
or literally, love for free, for
Wno reason at all)? It’s import- We often have lofty discussions on bringing Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai did not
ant to note that there is no such phrase in the Geula closer which ignore bringing the ‘respond’ to the churban. He initiated. He
requested the ingenious start-up of Yavneh
Chazal. people who are close to us closer. The future
redemption will appear anywhere there is and its scholars, Rabban Gamliel’s dynasty
In the Talmud and the poskim we only find a current redemption, for those walking and the healing of Rabbi Tzadok. That’s
sinat chinam, baseless hatred, which caused at our sides. “In a vast throng, they shall exactly how each of us needs to behave.
the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. It return… the blind and the lame among Enough with posts responding to the trag-
seems that Chazal understood (as I do, by them, the pregnant and those in labor…” edy of Meron, the tragedy of disunity and
the way), that the expression ahavat chinam political calamities! Give us Yavneh and its
is derogatory. (Yirmiyahu 31:7). Only when we come with chachamim! Give us religious thought about
them, with the weakened, will the
Is there a reason to think we Geula come to us. a new Beit HaMikdash and not just an old one
can love a person, espe- that was destroyed!
cially a Jew, for free, for I’ll end with a tip for increasing
no reason? Can we not love and Jewish unity, a tip
find even one spark, Rabbi Nachman requested we
one good thing about use every day, the nekuda tova,
them? In that sense, the “good point” (Likutei
isn’t the expression Moharan Torah 282). Every
ahavat chinam rather morning, find a good point,
condescending? something good in some-
The story of Kamtza and one who may be a little dif-
Bar Kamtza, which caused ficult to love. “Through find-
the destruction of Yerusha- ing within him some good and
layim, is a story of viability. judging him favorably, through
Is it viable, is it worthwhile, to this you truly lift him to be
invite Bar Kamtza to the meal? judged favorably [in Heaven].”
What does Bar Kamtza need to This tip alone can enlighten us now
pay in order to appease his host? and forever so we should rid ourselves
Half the price of the banquet? The of the term ahavat chinam. It was never
price of the whole banquet? free. Only the crying of the Jews on that

The Ramban offers a wonderful expla- first Tisha B’Av in the desert, after the sin
ָ
ָ
nation on the words ךֹומ ָּכ ך ֲע ֵר ְל ָּת ְב ַה ָא ְו: “One of the spies, is called bechia lechinam, crying
should not give measurements to love.” for free, for no reason.
Love is immeasurable. It is not for pay, and Every single person in our incredible nation
it is not free. Loving fellow Jews is simply What is the has a nekuda tova! It’s up to us to find it!
because of ם ָּנ ִח, from the word ן ֵח, their nat- biggest challenge in
ural grace. So simple and yet so complex. bringing the Geula today? We’ve become a
When we speak of the Geula, the Redemp- society of reactors as opposed to a society
tion, we look forward, to the future. When of initiators. We’ve become accustomed
we speak of love, we look to the sides, to to “like” or “dislike” instead of taking that
those walking beside us. When we do this, finger icon and pointing it in a new direc-
when we see the weak, the distraught and tion. It’s so easy to respond, and it’s so diffi- Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi is a popular
the lonely at our sides, love will bring the cult to get up tomorrow morning and sing Israeli teacher, speaker and writer.

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