Tonight we finish up our “Pray, Eat, Love” series with a great talk from my good friends Jody and Russell Reich (as well as a few thoughts from yours truly).  The topic is love.  Russell and Jody will be focusing on how do determine who to marry and I will be exploring the role of “looks” and attraction as well as a big picture question of “what’s the purpose of love”?  Can we even say that it has one?

So there you go.  You can have a complete understanding of the nature of love in less than one hour.  Worth a trip over for?

The Torah states, “Love your fellow man as yourself, I am God” (Leviticus 19:18).

The Talmud relates that a non-Jew came to Hillel and said to him, “Convert me on the condition that you will teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Hillel accepted his condition and told him, “What you dislike, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and learn.”

Why didn’t Hillel just mention the words of our verse? Why did he paraphrase the commandment?

We are taught that this is to teach us an important principle. From the words “love your fellow man” one might think that it’s enough to have feelings of love towards others, and thereby fulfill this commandment. The truth is, feeling love alone is not sufficient. Love must motivate us to do positive things for others and to refrain from any actions that could cause someone suffering.

Here are 8 suggestions to help us grow in our relationship with others:

1. Treat others with respect

2. Seek the best for others

3. Feel the pain of others

4. Greet others with a smile

5. Give the benefit of the doubt

6. Help others

7. Be willing to make moderate loans or gifts

8. Do not consider yourself better than others.

Shabbat Shalom.