Yesterday we celebrated Tu B’Av (ט״ו באב), also called the Jewish Festival of Love. Kabbalah teaches that love is the force that transforms separation into unity. Coming after Tisha B’Av, the day that commemorates destruction and division, Tu B’Av reminds us that healing begins when hearts open to one another. Every person carries a divine spark, and to truly love another is to recognize that spark, for every soul is a reflection of the Divine. In Judaism, love is not merely an emotion, but a commitment expressed through compassion, loyalty, and acts of kindness.
Martin Buber’s philosophy of I and Thou also reminds us that we become fully human when we encounter one another as living souls rather than as objects to be used.
In ancient Jerusalem, the unmarried women dressed in simple white garments so that no one would be distinguished by wealth or status. They danced in the vineyards, where young men were encouraged to choose a wife not for riches or outward beauty alone, but for her character and virtue.
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.”
Song of Songs 8:7
May your life be blessed with love that is wise, faithful, and enduring.
