Friday, April 13, 2007

What is love.... and what's Hebrew have to do with it?

The symbol above is the Hebrew expression for Love - it has 3 parts.
1. Raya
A Love that is shared among friends, admiration. Translated as friend, or companion, someone you hang out with.
2. Ahava
It is the love of the will. it is more profound than romantic feelings. This is murch more than temporary urges. Ahava is making the decision to join your life to the life of another. This is an emotion that leads to commitment.
Love in Hebrew is "Ahava" , which is made up of three basic Hebrew letters, . These three letters actually are broken down into two parts: a two letter base or root, , and the first letter, , which is a modifier. The meaning of the two letter base, , is "to give". The letter "aleph" , which precedes these two letters comes to modify the meaning of the base word, "give". The meaning of , is "I give" and also "love".
The answer to that question can be found in the ancient language of Hebrew. In Hebrew the word for love is "ahava." Every Hebrew word has its root word from which its meaning is derived. The root word of ahava is hav, which means to give. In other words, loving is synonymous with giving. Love is the constant choice to give to another. You don't fall in love; you create love. You act lovingly, by giving to your partner
3. Dod
The love that is only experienced with the blessings of Marriage. A love that unites two people into one, that creates a the intamacy. Dod is the physical, sexual element to a relationship.
We mistake things like friendship, commitment, or lust for love, but God wired us a certain way to experience all that love was really meant to be. Not to hold us back or to make us miss out on the best that life has to offer. God created love, and wants us to feel it all in the way it’s meant to be felt.
If you have one of these, you might be at the begining of love but it can never be the end. A complete love will have all three elements, with God's Timing. Using one of these out of context will cause the misuse of love.

Michael and I will have these words engraved on our rings....Raya - on my engagment ring since that's where it started. On his wedding ring, we have Ahava for our commitment to one another and then Dod on my wedding rings since this element of love we now get to experience in the bonds of our marriage.Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-13)

All love comes from God, who is it's creator, but we must be good stewards of the blessings of love He gives us.

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