Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
There have been more than 5,000 deaths from the coronavirus in Israel and we cannot properly eulogize them all. Here is a short piece dedicated to the memory of one of them and may these words assist in the ascent of all their souls.
Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twersky was a well-known psychiatrist and expert on addiction. He authored more than 60 books and saved thousands in Israel and elsewhere from a life in the shadow of drugs and alcohol. His story about "love of fish" was one his favorites and was frequently heard in his lectures:
"Once a young man was asked: 'Why are you eating this fish?' and he answered, 'I love fish.' Therefore he had to catch the fish, take it out of the water, kill it, and cook it. 'Young man,' he was told, 'you do not love the fish, but rather yourself. And since you find the fish tasty, you take it out of the water and eat it.'
Much of what we call 'love' is actually 'love of fish.' Sometimes when a young couple falls in love, this only means that both are searching to fulfill their personal needs. This is not love for the other, but rather the other becomes a means for self-satisfaction. Eternal love, on the other hand, is not concerned with what I get, but rather with what I give. Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler said the following about this: 'People make a mistake to think we love others and therefore give to them. Actually, we love others because we give to them.' If there is something I would desire to teach the younger generation it would be that true love is about giving and not about getting."