Six Different Types of Love
1. Love of G-d:
There is the mitzvah to love G-d as it says in Kriat Shma:‫ָל מאודך‬
‫בכ‬
ְ ‫ך ּו‬
ָ ‫ְׁש‬
ְ ‫ָל נַפ‬
‫בכ‬
ְ ‫ך ּו‬
ָ‫ב‬
ְ‫ב‬
ָ‫ל‬
ְ ‫ָל‬
‫ּבכ‬
ְ ‫ֵת יְהֹוָה אלוהיך‬
‫ְת א‬
‫הב‬
ַ 0ְ‫ו‬
‫ ה‬:‫דברים פרק ו‬
”Love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might”.
Deuteronomy 6:4
The Rabbis taught: “A man must recognize G-d’s work in creation, nature, and by way
of studying Torah, and through that he will acquire true love to G-d in his heart”.
a. Is it really possible to keep the commandment to love G-d?
b. What seems to be the answer to the above question according to the
rabbis?
c. What kind of love is being discussed here?
d. Is it different from other types of love you know?
2. Love of fellow humans:
a. Love that depends on a certain thing, if that thing be no more, dies with it. What
love is selfless? The love of David and Jonathan.
Avot 5: 16-17.
b. Rabbi Akiva used to say: Beloved is man, for he was created in God's image. Still
greater was the love shown him inasmuch as it was made known to him that he
was created in God's image, for it is written, "In the image of God made He
man" Genesis 9:6
c. When the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels wanted
to sing and God said to them: ”People of my creation are drowning,
and you want to sing?” ” Exodus Rabbah 21:8
d. Rabbi Akiva also said: ”Love thy friend as you love yourself; this is a
great rule in the Torah”. The Rabbis taught: ”What you hate, don’t do
to your friend.” Genesis Rabbah 24:7“
e. “Let no one say ‘I love the wise and hate the ignorant’ but ‘I shall love
all!.” Avot D’Rabbi Natan 16
a. What kind of love do these paragraphs describe?
b. Where, at home, at camp, or in school can you find this kind of love?
3. When a man loves a woman:
Human beings were created with a natural attraction between the sexes - “A man
without a woman is not whole”. In this case, love is when a man and a woman
complete each other. Some define love between a man and a woman as a combination
of friendship and sexual attraction.
‫ מבחר הפנינים‬.‫מהי האהבה? נות הלבבות והתחברם יחד‬
A. What is Love? The inclining and joining of hearts together. Mivhar
Hapeninim
B. Dr. Sol Gordon says that there are two kinds of love.
“Love that energizes and love that drains.”
1. When does love energize a person or relationship, and when do you think love
drains a person or relationship?
2. Some say that there is ”love at first sight”. Is this possible? Or does love develop
over a period of time?
3. Can you love someone without being his or her friend?
4. Can you be friends with someone of the opposite sex without loving them?
4. "Yeah Mom. Sure I love you!”
There is a natural love that comes from the feeling that the child is a direct continuation
of the parents and is part of them “flesh of their flesh”. Between parents and children
there is a constant physical and emotional connection.
a. According to the above paragraph, what two factors create the love between
parents and their children? Is there a difference between these factors?
b. Do you think that parents always love their children?
c. Is it unconditional? Why or why not?
d. Do you think that children always love their parents?
e. Is it unconditional? Why?
5. Love your nation:
.39 ‫ שבועות‬,‫ תלמוד בבלי‬.‫כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה‬
All Jews are responsible for each other. Talmud Bavli, Shevuot 39a
:‫ִי‬
‫דּת‬
ְ‫ל‬
ַ ‫ַן מֹו‬
‫בד‬
ְ 0ְ
‫ִיתי ּב‬
ִ ‫רא‬
ְָ‫כל ו‬
ַ ‫ָה אּו‬
‫ככ‬
ָ ‫ֵי‬
‫ִי וְא‬
‫עּמ‬
ַ ‫ֶת‬
‫ָא א‬
‫מצ‬
ְִ‫ֲׁשר י‬
ֶ ‫ָה א‬
‫רע‬
ָ‫ּב‬
ָ ‫ִי‬
‫ִית‬
‫רא‬
ְָ‫ַל ו‬
‫ָה אּוכ‬
‫ככ‬
ָ ‫ֵי‬
‫ִי א‬
‫ּכ‬
‫ו‬:‫מגלית אסתר פרק ח‬
"How can I bear to see the evil that will befall my people! And how can I bear to see
the destruction of my kindred!" (Esther 8:6)
According to Judaism, all Jews are friends and we are responsible to each other. This
means that one’s actions can affect the whole Jewish nation.
1. Do you agree with this paragraph?
2. What connection do you think you have to Jews worldwide?
3. What responsibility do you think you have to the Jewish people worldwide?
6. Narcissism – loving your self:
This love of self is part of the earliest stage of development and is connected to the
natural instinct for survival. A man must take care of himself; otherwise he has no
chance to survive.
1. Can loving yourself be a positive thing? At what point does it become negative?
2. Do you think every person loves him/her self?
Use these questions as guidelines:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Can we clearly define love?
Why can it be difficult to define?
What is special about love?
What other kinds of love can you think of?
Is it possible to live without any love?
What types of love listed above do you think it is possible to live without?
What similar emotions can you think of (affection, friendship, sexual attraction)?
In what ways are they similar and different from love?
8. Can you explain in words the feeling that is really love?
9. Does love necessarily lead to happiness? When does it? When does it not?
10. A. The Beatles sang-”Can’t buy me love.”
B. You cannot buy love, not with all the money in the world. Song of
Songs 8:7.
c. If a woman sells you her love for a fee, trust her not! Someone else
may offer more, and she will sell it to him. Brandstetter
Really? When do you or the people you know sometimes try to “buy” love?