The Jewish language of love

The Torah states, “Lo tov heyot ha-adam levado,” “It is not good for a person to be alone.” In the Jewish tradition, marriage is not only for the purpose of having children; it is also for companionship and remedying what Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik called the existential state of loneliness. The ideal loving relationship in Jewish tradition is an “I-Thou” relationship in which each partner sees the other and treats the other with respect and compassion. In Judaism, marriage and sex (when in the context of marriage, out of mutual love and desire) are not frowned upon; rather, they are mitzvot. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said, “Love transforms us. It makes us beautiful in the eyes of those who love us. It makes us real.”

An expanded curriculum is available for this topic.