Ahava / Love / אהבה

Giclé Print

16.5" X 16.5"

This piece is a celebration of "Ahava", “Love”. The Spiral contains select verses from the Bible that mention the Hebrew word "Ahava", אהבה, The outer circle is composed of Biblical verses containing the word Ahava with the theme of love between mankind; brotherly love, romantic love and love of humankind. As the spiral reaches the inside, verses are calligraphed with the word Ahava in context with Divine Love.

The Hebrew letter "Heh" on the inside is the second letter of the Tetragrammaton, the 4-lettered Divine Name.

"Ahava" is the second piece in the series of four. The first is entitled, "Chesed", Loving Kindness, the third is "Hod", "Spendor", and the fourth is "Tiferet", "Harmony" or "Beauty"

To purchase a numbered and signed fine-art print of this "Ahava" piece, please go to:

www.ktavtam.com/ahava

(א) לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכׇל־חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

(1) A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven:

(ח) עֵת לֶאֱהֹב...

(8) A time to love...

(כח) וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת עֵשָׂו כִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו וְרִבְקָה אֹהֶבֶת אֶת יַעקֹב׃

(28) Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah favored Jacob.

(ג) וְיִשׂרָאֵל אָהַב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִכׇּל בָּנָיו כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים׃

(3) Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons—he was his “child of old age”; and he had made him an ornamented tunic.

(א) אֹהֵב מוּסָר אֹהֵב דָּעַת...

(1) He who loves discipline loves knowledge..

(יא) אֹהֵב טהור לֵב חֵן שְׂפָתָיו רֵעֵהוּ מֶלֶךְ׃

(11) A pure-hearted friend,
His speech is gracious;
He has the king for his companion.

(יח) עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה וְאֹהֵב גֵּר לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה׃

(18) but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing food and clothing.—

(יט) וַאֲהַבְתֶּם אֶת הַגֵּר כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃

(19) You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

(יח) לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹֽא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי ה'׃

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

(יז) וַיֶּאֱהַב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת אֶסְתֵּר מִכׇּל הַנָּשִׁים וַתִּשָּׂא חֵן וָחֶסֶד לְפָנָיו מִכׇּל הַבְּתוּלוֹת וַיָּשֶׂם כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת בְּרֹאשָׁהּ וַיַּמְלִיכֶהָ תַּחַת וַשְׁתִּי׃

(17) The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she won his grace and favor more than all the virgins. So he set a royal diadem on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

(יח) וַיֶּאֱהַב יַעֲקֹב אֶת רָחֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֶֽעֱבׇדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּה׃

(18) Jacob loved Rachel; so he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

וַיַּעֲבֹד יַעֲקֹב בְּרָחֵל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וַיִּהְיוּ בְעֵינָיו כְּיָמִים אֲחָדִים בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ אֹתָֽהּ׃

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה׃

He brought me to the banquet room
And his banner of love was over me.-b

עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי בַּלֵּילוֹת בִּקַּשְׁתִּי אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו׃

Upon my couch at night
I sought the one I love—
I sought, but found him not.

אָקוּמָה נָּא וַאֲסוֹבְבָה בָעִיר בַּשְּׁוָקִים וּבָרְחֹבוֹת אֲבַקְשָׁה אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו׃

“I must rise and roam the town,
Through the streets and through the squares;
I must seek the one I love.”
I sought but found him not.

מְצָאוּנִי הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַסֹּבְבִים בָּעִיר אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי רְאִיתֶם׃

I met the watchmen-b
Who patrol the town.
“Have you seen the one I love?”

...וְנֶפֶשׁ יְהוֹנָתָן נִקְשְׁרָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד ויאהבו יְהוֹנָתָן כְּנַפְשׁוֹ׃

... Jonathan’s soul became bound up with the soul of David; Jonathan loved David as himself.

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱ:לֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ׃

You shall love Hashem, your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

מָה אָהַבְתִּי תוֹרָתֶךָ כָּל הַיום הִיא שִׂיחָתִי׃

O how I love Your teaching!
It is my study all day long.

שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עֵדֹתֶיךָ וָאֹהֲבֵם מְאֹד׃

I obey Your decrees
and love them greatly.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלָים יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהֲבָֽיִךְ׃

Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem;
“May those who love you be at peace.

הָלֹךְ וְקָרָאתָ בְאָזְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַים לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָֽה׃

Go proclaim to Jerusalem: Thus said the LORD:
I accounted to your favor
The devotion of your youth,
Your love as a bride—
How you followed Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.

כִּי צַדִּיק ה׳ צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ׃

For the LORD is righteous;
He loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold His face.

כִּי ה׳ אֹהֵב מִשְׁפָּט וְלֹא יַעֲזֹב אֶת חֲסִידָיו לְעוֹלָם...

For the LORD loves what is right,
He does not abandon His faithful ones.
They are preserved forever...

וְאַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתִּיךָ זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי׃

But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
Seed of Abraham My friend—

מֵרָחוֹק ה׳ נִרְאָה לִי וְאַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתִּיךְ עַל כֵּן מְשַׁכְתִּיךְ חָסֶד׃

The LORD revealed Himself to me of old.
Eternal love I conceived for you then;
Therefore I continue My grace to you.

הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה טּוֹב וּמָה ה׳ דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ כִּי אִם עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃

“He has told you, O man, what is good,
And what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice
And to love goodness,
And to walk modestly with your God.

יִבְחַר לָנוּ אֶת נַחֲלָתֵנוּ אֶת גְּאוֹן יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר אָהֵב סֶלָה׃

He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom He loved. Selah.

כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת ה' אֶתְכֶם וּמִשָּׁמְרוּ אֶת הַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם הוֹצִיא ה' אֶתְכֶם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים מִיַּד פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

For it was because The Lord favored you and kept the oath made to your fathers that The Lord freed you with a mighty hand and rescued you from the house of bondage, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

יְהִי ה' אֱ:לֹהֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ בְּךָ לְתִתְּךָ עַל כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבַת ה' אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֹלָם וַיְשִֽׂימְךָ לְמֶלֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָֽה׃

Praised be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel. It is because of the LORD’s everlasting love for Israel that He made you king to administer justice and righteousness.”

וַיֹּאמֶר חוּרָם מֶֽלֶךְ צֹר בִּכְתָב וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל שְׁלֹמֹה בְּאַהֲבַת ה' אֶת עַמּוֹ נְתָנְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם מֶֽלֶךְ׃

Huram, king of Tyre, sent Solomon this written message in reply, “Because the LORD loved His people, He made you king over them.”