Birkhas Ahavah

The Tefillah: Beyond the Words shiur resumed this week, picking up where we left off, with birkhas Ahavah.

Some of the topics discussed:

• Two dimensions for discussing a middah: "Ahavah Rabba" and "Ahavas Olam"
• How those dimensions are reflected in the structure of the berakhah as a whole
• What is love?
• The avos: Three models for how to express love
• The progression from ahavah (love) to chemlah (pity) to chein (unearned giving)
• The Torah as chuqei chaim (the law for living)
• What do we mean by qiyum hamitvah?