INTRODUCTION:

The word love is repeated often throughout our Jewish texts and traditions. If you look in a concordance, there are four and half columns documenting the use of the word love. The word love in all the many texts alludes to many different kinds and expressions of love. Yes, there are examples of romantic love. There is also love for God, for our fellow humans (both Jewish and non-Jewish), love for children, moments for love, and the idea of loving oneself.

לֹֹּֽ א־תִ קֹֹּּ֤ ם וְלֹֹּֽ א־תִ טֹּר֙ אֶ ת־בְ נֵ ֵ֣י עַ מֶֶּ֔ ָך וְאָֹּֽ הַ בְ תָּ ָּ֥ לְ רֵ עֲָךָ֖ כָּמ֑ ֹוָך אֲנִ ָ֖י יְהֹּוָֹּֽה׃

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against members of your people. Love your fellow [Israelite] as yourself: I am יהוה.) Lev 19:18)

אָּ ֵ֣ הַ בְ תֶָּּ֔ אֵ ָ֖ ת יְהֹּוָּ ֵ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ ֑ יָך בְ כׇל־לְ בָּ בְ ָךָּ֥ ּובְ כׇל־נַפְ שְ ָךָ֖ ּובְ כׇל־מְ אֹּדֶֹֽ ָך׃

You shall love your God יהוה with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (From the Shema, Deut 6:5)

Genesis 9:6

וְכִֹֽ י־יָּג֧ ּור אִ תְ ָךָ֛ גֵ ָ֖ר בְ אַ רְ צְ כֶ ֑ם לָֹּּ֥ א תֹונָ֖ ּו אֹּתֹֽ ֹו׃
כְ אֶ זְ רָּ ֵ֣ח מִ כֶם֩ יִהְ יֶֶ֨ה לָּכֶֶ֜ ם הַ גֵ ֵ֣ר ׀ הַ גָּ ֵ֣ר אִ תְ כֶֶ֗ ם וְאָּ הַ בְ תָּ ָּ֥ לֹו֙ כָּמֶּ֔ ֹוָך כִֹֽ י־גֵרִ ָּ֥ ים הֱיִיתֶ ָ֖ ם בְ אֶ ֵ֣ רֶ ץ מִ צְ רָּ ֑יִם אֲנִ ָ֖י יְהֹּוָּ ָּ֥ה אֱֹלהֵ יכֶֹֽ ם׃

When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them.
The strangers who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens; you shall love each one as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I יהוה am your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34)

• As you read through these texts from Tanakh, does it surprise you how often the word
  love is used?
• Do you think the word love in all these cases refers to the same emotion?
• Is one form of love stronger than another?
• Which of these forms of love is unconditional?
• What does it mean to love yourself? Why is this important?

Is self-care the same as self-love?
The Jewish value of Shmirat HaGuf talks about how we guard our bodies and take care of ourselves. On a practical level: Eating, sleeping, exercise, bathing, avoiding drugs. On a more subtle Level: Not endangering ourselves unnecessarily, medical care.

Biblical texts on taking care of yourself:

• For in the image of God, did God make humankind. (Genesis 9:6)
  ו ְשֶ ֶׂ֣ רֶ טְלָנֶֶ֗ פֶ ׁשְלֹֹ֤ אְתִ ת נוּ֙ ְבִ ב שַׂ ר כֶֶ֔ םְוכ תֶֹׂ֣ בֶ תְקַַֽׂ עֲקֶַׂ֔ עְלֹֹ֥ אְתִ ת נ֖ וְבָ כֶ ֶ֑םְאֲ נִ ֖ יְי הֹ וַָֽ ה׃ •
• You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead or incise any marks on
  yourselves: I am יהוה.) Leviticus 19:28)
• Take good care of yourselves. (Deuteronomy 2:4)
• If you find honey, eat only what you need. Otherwise, you’ll overdo it, and throw it
  up. (Proverbs 25:16)
• The Eternal will make your bones strong. (Isaiah 58:1)

As knowledge of our bodies and actions evolved, so did what Judaism has to say about taking care of ourselves evolve. Think about what our sages knew in Biblical times (BCE) vs what they knew in Rabbinic times (200-400 CE) vs what they knew in the Middle Ages. (5th-15th centuries).

ׁש מֹונָהְרובָ ןְקָ ׁשֶ הְומִ יעוטָ ןְיָפֶ הְו אֵ ּלוְהֵ ןְדֶ רֶ ְךְו דֶ רֶ ְךְאֶ רֶ ץְעֹוׁשֶ רְומ לָאכָהְיַׂיִ ןְו ׁשֵ ינָהְחַׂ מִ יןְו הְַׂקָ זַׂתְדָ םְ

Eight actions are difficult for the body and the soul to handle in large amounts and are beneficial in small amounts, and they are: Traveling on the road, engaging in the way of the world, i.e., engaging in sexual intercourse, having wealth, work, drinking wine, sleep, hot
water, and bloodletting. (Gittin 70a)
When a person has a pain, that person should visit a physician. (Baba Kama 46b)
When injury is likely, one should not rely on a miracle. (Kiddushin 39b)

עֹולָםְלֹאְיֹאכַׂלְאָ דָ םְאֶ ּלָאְכ ׁשֶ הואְרָ עֵ בְ.ו לֹאְיִ ׁש תֶ הְאֶ ּלָאְכ ׁשֶ הואְצָ מֵ אְ.ו אַׂ לְיַׁׂש הֵ אְנ קָ בָ יוְאֲ פִ ּלוְרְֶגַׂעְאֶ חָ דְ.אֶ ּלָאְכָלְ
ז מַׂ ןְׁשֶ צָ רִ יְךְל הַׂ ׁש תִ יןְאֹוְל הָ סֵ ְךְאֶ תְרַׂ ג לָיוְיַׂעֲמֹ דְמִ יָדְ

Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of God – for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator, if one is ill – therefore, they must avoid that which harms the body and accustom themself to that which is healthful and helps the
body become stronger. They are as follows: a person should never eat unless hungry, nor drink unless thirsty. One should never put off relieving oneself, even for an instant. Rather, whenever one [feels the] need to urinate or move their bowels, they should do so immediately. (Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 4:1)

Later Commentaries:
The body is the soul’s house. Therefore, shouldn’t we take care of our house so that it does not fall into ruin? (Philo Judaeus)
If your custom is to take walks, you should intend it for the sake of heaven – in order to be healthy for the service of God, who is blessed. Your thought should be that you are exercising so that your mind will be relaxed and vigorous, so that you will see how to act in
all your affairs as proper. (Yitzchak Buxbaum, Jewish Spiritual Practices)

• In what ways has knowledge about taking care of ourselves changed?
• Do you think the sages of understood a woman’s body? A changing body?
• What forms of self-care do you practice?
• Is exercise a form of self-love or self-care?
• How does medical prevention play a part in self-care or self-love?
• How do you feel when you pay attention to your body and your needs?