On love and power

Last week, a daredevil couple (in Yiddish, they call it meshugah…) scaled the Empire State Building. They unfurled a big black banner that read “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” Then they got engaged, got down, and got arrested.

When I heard about it, I first thought to myself, “Look, that was a display of the power of love.”

But then I thought: hmmm. The couple could have had the power of love in a quaint cafe somewhere. Why did they need to climb so much higher than everyone else? Or was there, hiding inside all that love, a tiny love of power too?

The internet, being the internet, immediately started having fun with it. Memes with the unmistakable black banner appeared – except the text was changed to be whatever the meme creator was in the mood for. (I suggested to one of my friends that we make the text “Are you Jewish?”)

And me being me, I started thinking about the idea. As I often find, some bombastic quotes can sound so true, but when you start peeking under the hood, you might not be sure anymore.

Essentially, this quote pits love and power against each other in a grand match. You have to choose one. And according to it, once we choose love, the world will finally know peace. It’s a not-so-subtle rebuke to us humans for choosing power over love.

Power is bad. Wars. People rushing, pushing, being too strong. Love is good. Big red hearts. Calm. Starry eyes and roses wherever you go.

This has been the popular message for a long time now.

And maybe it’s time to challenge it head-on.

Because nothing good can happen without high energy. Determination. And yes, power.

Think about anything good you ever accomplished in your life. Now, I know that all kinds of people will read this article, yet I am sure that the following is true to everyone: there is no good accomplished in the world without some setbacks. Without some pushback. Without difficult moments. And the only way you accomplished your good was by pushing, by using power, by overcoming resistance – both internal and external.

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature. It’s how G-d planned His world. And it’s how G-d enjoys His creation: seeing us powering through our challenges and getting it done.

Obviously, power can also be used for very bad things. Everything G-d created has the potential to be misused for the wrong reasons. But just because some evil people use a knife to hurt people, it doesn’t mean we should never be able to smear kosher cream cheese on a bagel, say a blessing, eat it, and use the energy for good things.

Earlier in the week, I listened to a talk by the rebbe that makes this point beautifully. It was a passionate talk about the story that took place right before the Jews were about to enter the Holy Land.

The land was supposed to be divided among the men. But in one family, the father, Zelofchad, died, leaving five daughters and no sons. They came forward and asked for their portion. After they brought their question to G-d, the answer came back: yes. In the absence of sons, the daughters themselves would receive the family’s portion in the Land of Israel.

The rebbe explained that in Torah language, the male quality is associated with conquest. Entering the land required the power to go forward, take possession, face resistance, and fulfill G-d’s mission in the physical world.

But then comes the question: what if someone looks at himself and says, “I don’t have that conquering power. I don’t feel strong enough. I don’t have the force to push through.”

The answer from the daughters of Zelofchad is powerful. If G-d gives you a mission, He gives you the strength to accomplish it. Even someone who is naturally gentle, quiet, or reserved — the daughters proved that when G-d gives you a mission, He hides that fierce conquering power inside you. Keep on going, and you will succeed.

Love is great, but love is not enough. We need the power to push through our challenges. We need to match and surpass the ferocity of darkness in the world. We need to do good, and we need to do it big. We need to be loud and proud.

Maybe this is what they meant when they said “power of love.” Maybe not. But for the world’s sake, take this Torah message and display it (legally!) above the Empire State Building.

The world needs to hear it.

Mendy Kaminker is the rabbi of Chabad of Hackensack and an editorial member of Chabad.org. He looks forward to your comments at rabbi@chabadhackensack.com.

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