One People, One Love. Lubavitcher Rebbe, arguably the most consequential Rabbi of the last century taught that to not love your fellow Jew was to not fully love G-d. Unfortunately, in a factionalized Jewish world of labels and denominations we sometimes fall short of this lofty mission. Let's remember that supporting each other is a major part of the secret to our success.
Reunited and it Feels so Good! We have so much to learn from each other. The religiously observant Jew can benefit from the perspective, contributions and lived experience of the secular Jew. The secular Jew can observe the benefits of a close community and gain spiritual wisdom and meaning from the traditions of the more observant. We're not meant to agree on everything, after all Jews argue, it's kind of what we do. But we should never lose sight that we are one people and and we must always try to bring out the best in each other.
The Rebbes Eternal Vision. The small portrait of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the corner represents this design as an appreciation of his legacy and vision: a Jewish people united across all our differences, learning from one another, practicing unconditional love. That's Ahavat Yisrael in action. Put differently, we Gotta Love the Jews!!!
For a deeper understanding of Ahavat Yisrael, please take a moment to check out this thoughtful piece from Chabad.org
Here's similar material in video form
Here's a short but powerful snippet from The Rebbe himself.
And here is a video from my dear friend and Rebbe, Rabbi Jonathan Goldschmidt, with some thoughts on the "balkanization" rampant today in our faith. B'H we can become more unified in the years ahead.
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