Love, as we all know, is a powerful emotion. It is much needed, seeked by many and extremely praiseworthy. It is precisely because of this, that the evil inclination tries to plant seeds of jealousy and hatred amongst those who display affection to each other. That is why it tries to use any possible methods of deception and trickery to harden people's hearts, cause confusion and instill hatred amongst family members and friends. Its ultimate goal is to prevent us from displaying affection to each other and treating each other with love.
Hakham Yoseph Hayyim 'a"h, guides us with the following advice. He suggests that we overcome our nature to respond to hatred with hatred. Rather, we should respond with love to any negative feelings directed at us. We should repay gossip and strife with affection and closeness.As a result, he reassures us, much goodness and blessings will be showered upon us if we follow this path.
We can delve into the quality of love, by relating the following saying of a wise man: " Two people who love each other will find the hole of a needle spacious enough for them, whereas, for those who hate each other, the entire universe will not be big enough".
My dear friends, as we are approach the period between the seventeenth of Tammuz and the ninth of Ab, let us remind ourselves of the immense power of love. It is, perhaps, a word which is overused but, nevertheless, has the potential of bringing our redemption closer and faster. May you merit to fill your homes with friendship, love and harmony, and as a result, abundance of blessings will follow.
