really beautiful story from Jay Michaelson

Some days later, R. Yitzhak and the rebbe of Hebron visited the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs in the Cave of Machpelah.

"You see," said the rebbe, "it is not just a matter of recognizing God's love because a man knows what love is. It is also recognizing God Himself."

"How so?" asked R. Yitzhak.

"When a man is in love," and here the rebbe looked into R.
Yitzhak's eyes, and seemed to know all his secrets, "it is both inexplicable and needs no explanation. We cannot prove what love is. There is no cloud of love that men can see with their eyes. But we know that love exists, because the pull of love is so strong, it cannot be denied. So it is with God."

The rebbe paused to utter a prayer.

"However, when a man only yearns for love, and does not feel his love returned, he creates tales about his beloved. Perhaps she looks this way, definitely she likes this and hates that. He replaces reality with these tales. And if another man should tell him differently maybe your beloved has brown hair and not black he will argue forcefully: no! In this way, discord rises in the world, and the man himself becomes estranged from true love, which is open to every possibility."

R. Yitzhak felt that the rebbe did not understand him, and feared that he did.

"On your path," the rebbe said, again with his gaze seeming to penetrate R. Yitzhak's soul, "there can be no ahavas Hashem. You will always doubt yourself, until you come to know love. Then you will know that God is loving you, at every moment, and is here, and exists and lives, because you will no longer be able to tolerate doubt."

R. Yitzhak wanted to cry, but did not want to reveal himself to the rebbe. By the time they parted and R. Yitzhak was alone, the tears had already been swallowed.