Judaism is about love Recovering the heart of Jewish life

"Judaism is not what you think it is," according to Rabbi Held (Abraham Joshua Heschel) in this paradigm-shifting study. Pushing back against notions that Christianity is defined by belief and Judaism by action, Held asserts that Jewish theology, spirituality, and ethics champion "the heart and the deed, not one or another," and that both are rooted in love of "God, the neighbor, the stranger." Those "three dramatic love commands" mandated by the Torah and the two added by rabbinic tradition (love all humans; respond to others' suffering with "compassionate feeling and compassionate action") are "so central to Jewish life that... everything else grows out" of them. The author uses these principles to tackle a host of ethical considerations, including Judaism's particular obligation to the poor and, in an especially potent section, in what circumstances it's required to love one's enemy. Woven in is a mention of the author's mother, a child of European refugees whose "post-Holocaust anger almost consumed" her. Held avoids dogmatism and is never anything less than transparent, admitting that he can sometimes accept that God loves humanity despite its "cruelty and callousness," and at other times finds the idea "hopelessly naive." Ultimately, Held draws profound meaning from Judaism and its promise that "we are capable of living lives animated by love, mercy, compassion, and generosity." This has the power to reshape Jews' views of their faith. (Mar.)

An exploration of the role of love in Jewish scripture, ethics, and practice. Held, president of the Hadar Institute and author of The Heart of the Torah, provides an erudite look at what lies at the heart of the Jewish faith. Noting that some view Judaism as based on justice, tradition, law, or other elements, the author argues convincingly that love is the central tenet. Held's thesis stems from the concept of hesed, a theme in the Torah commonly translated as "lovingkindness." Hesed is both an important aspect of God and a central command for God's people. From it, the author identifies a wide variety of applications for love in Jewish thought as well as in daily life. Beginning with love within the family unit, he moves on to the love of neighbor, stranger, and enemy. Held explores human dignity in depth, seeing the creation of each person in God's image as a basis for Jewish ethics. He also discusses love in the face of evil, asking how a God of love can be rationalized with the existence of widespread suffering. The author concludes that God provides us with the ability to love and, further, admonishes us to love; but in the end, he provides us with free will to do so or not. "God implants a capacity for love within us," writes Held, "but God does not determine whether and how we exercise that capacity." The author balances the academic strength of a scholar with the pastoral sensitivity of a rabbi. Readers will be intrigued by the dizzying array of references to Jewish teachers across the centuries, as well as philosophers, Christian theologians, and others, and he approaches topics such as family relations with practicality and nuance. A highly literate, thought-provoking, persuasive argument for the centrality of love in the Jewish faith. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.