Lesson #1
Introduction to the Ahavas Yisrael Shabbos Chabura
Welcome everyone, to our first Ahavas Yisrael Chabura meeting. A chabura is a group of friends who learn together. We’ve each heard about this growing project and have decided to take part because we know that by learning how to improve our relationships, we’ll enjoy richer bonds with our family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
The Jewish People were charged with an important mission: to bring the awareness of G-d’s presence and Providence to the world. Indeed, despite our relative size, we have impacted history and shaped progress way beyond our numbers. Realistically, we have to admit, it cannot be simply our genius that has made us such stunning contributors; it must certainly be Something else.
In our greatest era, the Jewish People lived in peace with the Holy Temple in Jerusalem as our direct, open channel to G-d. It’s hard to imagine from our comfortable modern homes and busy, warm communities around the world, what that time was like. But as great as our impact throughout the centuries has been, the meaning of our lives was best expressed in a Jerusalem glowing with the Temple as her centerpiece. Everyone on earth could recognize G-d’s sovereignty, as this Sanctuary was open to all nations.
If the Temple was for all people, why are we now focusing on loving just Jews? Aren’t we supposed to love all of humanity?
Jews are committed to the belief that all of mankind has inherent dignity and worth that is deserving of our respect, yet that is a separate mitzva than the mitzva to love our fellow Jew. And there is a reason for this. It’s both noble and beautiful to assist in the myriad needs of humanity, and Jews are often leaders in social movements which serve to feed the poor and aid the sick, yet, at the same time, our primary responsibility and commitment begins at “home”, with our Jewish family first. This is where our greatest challenge and potential for growth lies.
We are members of Am Yisrael, the Jewish family. Like any family we are connected as descendants of our forefathers and mothers. We share a long history of travail and triumph. We feel a kinship and responsibility towards Jews we will never meet, just as we feel a connection with distant relatives around the globe, even in previous generations. This is what a family is. Am Yisrael was charged with a mission: to help all of mankind recognize that G-d runs the world with strength and compassion. When the Temple stood, the Jewish People were living out our true purpose as the Almighty’s emissaries to the world. At that time, we were shining examples of Ahavas Yisrael. We know this is true because our tradition teaches us that G-d only allowed the Romans to rise, destroy the Temple and exile us among the nations when we stopped treating one another with compassion, respect and love.
This is why the Jewish Women’s Project for Ahavas Yisrael was formed.
You might have noticed a growing number of challenges in our lives. Serious
difficulties in health, marriage, raising children and financial burdens are mounting.
On the world stage, we cannot help but be bewildered at the suddenness with which Israel has become the universal pariah. In frustration we ask: Why is G-d doing this to us? The answer is clear: He wants to wake us up.
But what does He want us to do? He wants us to strengthen our nation through
unconditional love, thereby rectifying the transgression that led to the destruction of our holy Temple.
The founders of the Women’s Project for Ahavas Yisrael sought a positive way to deal with the situations we face today. We know that our ultimate purpose is to bring the world to the recognition of the Almighty, just as we did when the Temple stood. And we know that we lost that opportunity because we did not observe the laws of bain adam l’chavayro-of treating one another with dignity. Since we not only lack the Temple, but we also continue to see calamites surround us and escalate, with no end in sight, these women felt that now is the time to focus on rebuilding Ahavas Yisrael.
Our sages tell us that it will be in the merit of the righteous Jewish women that the
future Jewish redemption will come about. In our history, the great changes leading to redemption have always begun with the women. Our attitudes towards others and responses in difficult situations effect everyone around us.
By learning the many opportunities to implement of the mitzva of “Loving your
Neighbor as Yourself”, we can have happier lives and relationships. It will not be long before our family, friends and co-workers are touched by us and begin implementing these positive traits in their own lives.
By stretching beyond the barriers of our comfort zone in this mitzva, we become role models of what the Torah requires of all Jews. The Torah leaders of our generation tell us that, by observing this mitzva, we can actually bring protection to the Jewish People.
The Chabura will meet once a week for approximately 20 minutes. In each session we will learn and discuss a halacha, a specific Torah law, of Ahavas Yisrael and hear an inspiring story of how one woman applied this concept in her life. Each session ends with a “take-home exercise” so we can apply the concept as well.
Now for our first lesson. Because reading the introduction took most of our time, we’ll have a short one today.
Jewish Law:
G-d explicitly commands us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The first question that comes to mind is, How can we be commanded to have an emotion such as love? Either we love or we don’t. The answer is that if G-d who created us, commands us to love our neighbor, then it must be that we are capable of this love; we just have to understand how to feel it and show it all of the time.
We are also commanded to cultivate a bond with the “congregation of Israel.” The Talmud (Shevuot 39a) says: “every Jew is responsible one for another”. G-d concerns Himself not only with how we serve Him, but how we serve and support one another as well.
Now that we know that not only are we are capable of loving every Jew, but we also are responsible (within our ability) for their well-being, we can learn the Jewish precepts that help us become more loving and compassionate to the people in our lives.
These precepts are:
– Speak well of your fellow Jew.
– Respect your fellow Jew by giving validation, acknowledgement and appreciation.
– Care about his/her material and physical needs.
– Try to make amends with the people who feel you have let them down.
Discussion Question:
What impact do you think you will have within your family and on your block once you start to learn the concepts of Ahavas Yisrael and make a conscious effort to implement them?
Stretch of the Week:
This week make a conscious effort to smile when you see other people. Lesson