Tu B’Av – The Jewish Holiday of Love
Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale makes a shocking assertion for a traditional rabbi. As one who believes that the Torah was written by God, he cannot easily dismiss troubling passages. So, he suggests that particular laws which appear to contradict other higher principles of Torah compel us to re-evaluate the offending law “from the prism of broader divine ethical imperatives.” Among the most profound and comprehensive principals, according to Weiss, is the concept of b’tzelem Elohim – the image of God. His reading of b’tzelem Elohim is that because all humans are created in the image of God, any Torah law that would seem to diminish the stature of another human being must be recognized as a vestige of earlier mores which reflect particular limitations of the more ancient Jewish community. Now that we have evolved beyond those limitations, we should apply these higher standards and declare the offending law obsolete.
I share this insight today on the traditional Jewish Festival of Love, Tu b’Av. Tradition recognizes many happy events related to human pairing that have occurred on this day. For more details look here. Lately, in modern Judaism it’s come to be a day for matchmaking, weddings, proposing, and elevation of the Jewish love for Torah study. In the spirit of the last item on this list, and reflecting Rabbi Weiss’ insight, I would like to suggest that our generations have reached an understanding of love that also captures the essence of b’tzelem Elohim.
We have come to see how – truly loving – human pairings are the quintessential expression of love in the image of God. One human being can bring fulfillment, inspiration, wisdom, and completion to another, regardless of the genders of those two people. We have also seen how a Jew marrying a non-Jew and creating a Jewish home presents an incredible opportunity to the Jewish people. We are proud of who we are and of our storied history. When a non-Jewish person chooses a Jewish partner, we have learned that an outpouring of love and embrace will bring that non-Jew closer to our community and support the couple in the raising of Jewish children. Wise is proud of our inclusive community which extends love to all whom are created in the image of God and invites them to become meaningful partners in helping us to become who we all are yet to be.
— Rabbi Ron Stern