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12 | FEB.8 —FEB. 21, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
FAITH
‘Love stories’ date as
far back as the Bible
B1 JOE EARLE
joeerle@reporternewspapers. net
The Bible is filled with stories of pas
sion. Some of its stories portray bravery
and treachery; others depict loyalty and
love.
In honor of Valentines Day — a day
for romance that takes its name from a
saint reputed to have been imprisoned
for marrying lovers whose unions were
outlawed — we asked several local reli
gious leaders to name their favorite love
stories from scripture.
Their favorites varied. But whether
they turned to the Old Testament or the
New Testament, they found stories ex
pressing romantic love.
Here are the ones they chose.
Rabbi Dr. Ana-
lia Bortz of Congre
gation Or Hadash
turned to the story
of Isaac and Rebec
ca, found in the book
of Genesis. She list
ed several reasons for
choosing the story, including that it
was the first time in the Bible the word
“love” was used to describe a man’s affec
tion for a woman.
She also gave a personal reason for
choosing the story of Rebecca and Isaac.
Her parents were named Esther Rebecca
and Isaac, she said, “and they have been
married for 52 years.” Bortz called her
parents’ marriage “a wonderful partner
ship.”
Also, her father’s mother, she said,
was named Sarah, the same as Isaac’s
mother in the Biblical stories. “So it’s all
running in the family,” she said. “That,
and the fact that the woman was ex
tremely independent, like my mother is,
and like they taught me to be.”
Here’s Rebecca and Isaac’s story: Abra
ham was looking for a wife for his son,
Isaac, and sent a servant looking for a
suitable prospect. Tire servant stood next
to a well in Abraham’s home country and
BIBLEQUESTION.WORDPRESS.COM
prayed that a maiden would offer him a
drink and also offer to water his camels.
Rebecca immediately appeared and offered
to do just that.
Rebecca agreed to accompany the ser
vant’s party to Abraham’s home. As they
approached, Rebecca saw Isaac in the fields
preparing to pray. When she heard that
the man she saw was to be her husband,
she covered herself with a veil. Isaac took
her into his late mother’s tent and mar
ried her and, the Bible says, “he loved her. ”
Rev. Jim
Duffy of Our
Lady of the As
sumption Catho
lic Church chose
the story found in
Genesis of Jacob
and Rachel. The
story reveals true love in sacrifice, he
said, and demonstrates Jacob’s faith.
Here’s Jacob and Rachel’s story: Ja
cob fell for Rachel and agreed to work
seven years for her father in return for
her hand in marriage. But when the
bride was presented to Jacob, she was
veiled. Jacob did not realize that Ra
chel’s older sister, Leah, had been sub
stituted for Rachel and he fell for the
trick, marrying Leah.
When Jacob confronted Rachel’s
father, he said it was proper that the
older sister should marry first. Jacob
agreed to work for Rachel’s father for
another seven years in order to earn
Rachel’s hand in marriage. Tire sec
ond time proved the charm. He mar
ried the sister he was after.
WIKIMEDIA.ORG
