The "Heart" in Hebrew Thought

By IBC Faculty Panel

June 10, 2025

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(Article by Sandra Aviv)

In the modern Western mindset, the “heart” is often seen as the center of emotion — a symbol of love, sadness, or passion.

But in the Hebrew Bible, the lev (לֵב) is far more than a seat of emotions. The lev is where we reflect and reason, where desires take root, and where convictions are born. It is the control center of one’s inner life — the origin not just of what we feel, but of how we think, what we choose, and, ultimately, who we become.

In Deuteronomy 6:5, the Torah commands, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (levav), with all your life, and with all your might.” Here, loving God is not merely about feeling affection. It is about directing intellect, will, and intention toward Him. In ancient Israelite thought, the heart was the source of wisdom (Exodus 31:6), the place where plans were made (1 Kings 8:18), and the origin of moral intention (Genesis 6:5).

God examines the lev not to measure sentiment, but to perceive the direction of a person’s entire life. The Psalmist pleads, “Create in me a clean heart (lev tahor), O God” (Psalm 51:10) — a recognition that true transformation begins not in outward behavior, but in the inner being.

This promise of transformation reaches its climax in the prophets. Through Ezekiel, God declares, “I will give you a new heart (lev hadash) and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). This is not about soothing emotions; it is about reshaping identity and restoring alignment with divine truth — at the deepest level of the soul.

Jeremiah echoes this renewal: “I will give them one heart (lev echad) and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for their good and the good of their children after them” (Jeremiah 32:39). God’s vision is not limited to individual change. It is about communal transformation — forming a people whose united hearts walk in His ways from generation to generation.

The New Testament affirms this vision with striking continuity. In Hebrews 4:12, we read: “For the word of God… judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God does not stop at what we feel. He reaches deeper — into what we think, what we want, and what we ultimately choose.

The Hebrew Bible does not merely invite us to feel differently. It calls us to live differently — from the inside out.