Is There Love Without A Cause?

Question: Can the word “love” be replaced with “balance between opposing forces” or “harmony between bestowal and reception”?

Answer: There are two types of love: love of self and love of the other or internal love and external.

If love is directed toward oneself, then this is that same egoism. I love to eat well, drink good wine, fulfill myself with sexual pleasure, travel, play with my child, and so on. All of this is nothing but manifestations of egoism. I love the child because he is mine; since I love myself, I also love him.

Why should this be called a certain type of love? They are simply manifestations of egoism. Naturally, for the person it is very nice and pleasant, well, there are even many so called demonstrations of self-sacrifice. But, the individual, of course, pays for it.

Question: Can it be said then, from a Kabbalistic point of view, that just as there is hatred without cause, there is love without cause?

Answer: Love cannot be without a cause. It is simply necessary to identify where the cause lies. Even if it is called love without a cause, it just means that we did not make the effort or are unable to identify its cause, or the cause lies above our egoism and that’s why we call it that.
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From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian, 8/6/17