# Love

<div dir="rtl">אַהֲבָה</div>

Source: https://ajew.org/reader/sefer-hamidos/1/3


## Segment 1

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כְּשֶׁאֵין אַהֲבָה בֵּין בְּנֵי אָדָם, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הֵם הוֹלְכֵי רָכִיל, וְעַל־יְדֵי רְכִילוּת בָּאִים לְלֵיצָנוּת, וְעַל־יְדֵי לֵיצָנוּת הֵם דּוֹבְרִים שֶׁקֶר.

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1. When there is no love between people, they go about gossiping, and through gossiping, they come to mockery, and through mockery, they speak falsehood.


## Segment 2

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עַל־יְדֵי שִׂנְאָה בָּא בֶּהָלוֹת, וְעַל־יְדֵי שִׂנְאָה בָּא שְׂרֵפָה.

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2. Through hatred comes frightful events, and through hatred come fires (lit: things get burned).


## Segment 3

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עַל־יְדֵי אַהֲבַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ נִשְׁמָר הַנֶּפֶשׁ מִכָּל פְּגָעִים רָעִים.

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3. Through the love of Hashem, may He be blessed, the soul is guarded from all evil calamities.


## Segment 4

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כְּשֶׁתָּשׁוּב בִּתְחִלָּה עַל עֲווֹנוֹתֶיךָ, תּוּכַל לָבוֹא לְאַהֲבַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.

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4. When you first repent of your sins, you can come to love Hashem Blessed be He.


## Segment 5

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מִי שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּמְסִירַת־נֶפֶשׁ, הַכֹּל אוֹהֲבִין אוֹתוֹ.

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5. Whoever prays for [the people of] Israel with self sacrifice, everyone loves him.


## Segment 6

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עַל־יְדֵי אַהֲבָה בָּא הִתְחַזְּקוּת.

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6. Through love, one is strengthened.


## Segment 7

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כְּשֶׁתְּחַזֵּק אֶת הָאָדָם בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, הוּא יֹאהַב אוֹתְךָ.

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7. When you strengthen a person in the service of G-d, blessed-be-He, he will love you.


## Segment 8

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עַל־יְדֵי אֲמִירַת הַלֵּל בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל, זוֹכִים לְאַהֲבַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.

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8. Through saying Hallel in a loud voice, one merits to love Hashem, blessed-be-He.


## Segment 9

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כְּשֶׁתְּהֵא נִזְהָר מִשִּׂנְאַת חִנָּם, אֲזַי כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְךָ אֵיזֶהוּ מִשְׁפָּט עִם אַלָּם שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְפַשֵּׁר עִמְּךָ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִתְפַּשֵּׁר עִמְּךָ.

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9. When you will be careful (to abstain) from baseless hatred, then when you have a legal case with a strongman who isn't willing to settle (-compromise) with you, through this he will settle with you.


## Segment 10

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מִי שֶׁנִּזְהָר מִשְּׁבוּעַת שֶׁקֶר, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יַעֲבֹר עַל "לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר".

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10. One who is careful from (making) a false oath, he certainly will not transgress (the commandments – Leviticus 10:17) “do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge.”


## Segment 11

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הַשּׁוּם מְסֻגָּל לְאַהֲבָה.

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11. [The] Garlic is conducive (segulah) for love.


## Segment 12

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הָעוֹבֵד מֵאַהֲבָה - זְכוּתוֹ מֵגֵן עַד אַלְפַּיִם דּוֹר.

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12. One who serves out of love - his merit protects until two thousand generations.


## Segment 13

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בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁעוֹשִׂין תְּנָאִים )תְּנַאי( אוֹ אֵיזֶה כְּרִיתוּת בְּרִית, הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שָׁם הוּא.

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13. In the place where a wedding agreement (condition) or any covenant is made, the L-rd, blessed is He, is present there.


## Segment 14

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כְּשֶׁהַצְּמָחִים גְּדֵלִים בִּמְלוֹאָם, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אַהֲבָה בָּעוֹלָם.

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1. When the plants grow to their completeness, through this there is love in the world


## Segment 15

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אַהֲבַת אִשָּׁה לְבַעְלָהּ נִכָּר בַּזְּבוּבִים וְיִתּוּשִׁים שֶׁבַּבָּיִת גַּם עַל־יְדֵי אַהֲבָתָם יְכוֹלִין לֵידַע כֹּחַ הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע אִם כְּבָר נֶחֱלָשׁ אִם לָאו.

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2. The love of a woman for her husband is discernable by the flies and mosquitoes that are in the house. Also, through their love, it is possible to know the power of the evil inclination, whether it has been weakened or not.


## Segment 16

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חַכְמֵי הַדּוֹר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם אַהֲבָה, שֶׁרוֹאִים זֶה עִם זֶה לִפְרָקִים, אֲזַי יֵשׁ כֹּחַ בְּיָדָם לָדוּן אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם וְדִינֵיהֶם דִּין, וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיְּשַׁנֶּה וִיבַטֵּל דִּינָם, כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אַב־בֵּית־דִּין שֶׁלָּהֶם.

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3. Sages of the generation that have love between them, who/that see each other occasionally, then they have the power to judge the whole world, and their judgment stands, and no one can change or annul their judgment, for the Holy One Blessed be He is the Chief Judge of their court.


## Segment 17

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עַל־יְדֵי שִׂנְאַת־חִנָּם נִכְשָׁל בִּטְרֵפוֹת.

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4. Through needless hatred, one blunders (to eat) non-kosher meat/food.


## Segment 18

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עַל־יְדֵי תַּאֲוַת אֲכִילָה הוּא אוֹהֵב בֵּן אֶחָד יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר בָּנָיו.

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5. Through lust of eating, one loves one of his sons more than his other sons.