Our Gemara on Amud Beis describes the coinage in the time of Avraham, on one side was an elderly man and woman, on the other side a young man and woman. (See Tosafos and other commentaries if this was an image, or a written word.  By the way, archeological evidence is that not only did the Jews refrain from using images on their coins, but even when under Roman dominion in the first Century, the Romans honored the Jewish custom and used coins without images in the Jewish states, unlike their other provinces. See “The Origins of Judaism: An Archaeological-Historical Reappraisal”, New Haven, CT 2022, pp. 93-95)

The simple interpretation of this Midrash is to emphasize Avraham’s dominance as a world leader, to the extent that a coin was dedicated to him.  But such an interpretation does not seem likely, do the rabbis need to give us archeology lessons? Rav Tzaddok Hacohen (Kometz Hamincha 2:23) interprets this as depicting the perfect balance that Avraham and Sarah achieved between love and fear of God.  Youth is filled with passion but less restraint and balance (one side of the coin), but old age has more capacity for sober restraint, but less passion. Avraham’s “coinage” that he distributed and circulated into the world was the ability to have both qualities in proper balance.

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Love seems to be the ideal, but only on paper, as human nature also must operate from a degree of fear.  In a marriage, as much as passion and love are critical, without commitment and responsibility there is no vessel to contain the energy.  Pure love can too easily lead to pure selfishness and gratification, which leads to dissatisfaction instead of happiness, because a selfish person can never enjoy anything for too long without developing contempt and boredom (see our blog, Psychology of the Daf, Bava Kamma 95.) However, sacrifice and duty alone is empty of deeper emotions and joy.  Avraham demonstrated an ability to live in this world with the right balance. Paradoxically, Humans do best when they are living in equilibrium between their contradictory natures, we must have our feelings and our passions to be creative and driven, but must moderate them so we behave rationally and pro-socially. 

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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