Eli recently completed his MA at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, focusing on the Bible .Nowadays, he teaches Bible, Jewish Philosophy and Mathematics in ”The Beit Hinuch high school” in Jerusa
October 19th, 2009 02:50 PM ET

Love your fellow as yourself

In the Book of Leviticus 19:18 God has commanded us:

" לֹא-תִקֹּם וְלֹא-תִטֹּר אֶת-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ: אֲנִי, יְהוָה."

"Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

We all understand the meaning of this sentence but I feel that we can't wonder if it is really possible to love someone else as you love yourself?
The answer to this question can be found in the writings of several Hebrew sages.
Rabbi Akiva states that" to love your fellow as yourself" is one of the greatest Mitzvah (commandment) in the Torah.

According to Rambam, one must love another in the same manner as a person loves himself.

Hezekiah Ben Manoah, known as Hizkuni, was a French rabbi who lived in the 13th century. He contends that loving another connotes what one would like for oneself if faced with a situation similar to that confronting another individual. Hizzekuni says that if a friend is ill then his fellow should pray that the friend receive such a blessing.

Rabbi Jacob been Asher, known as Baal Ha-Turim, writes in his main work the Arba'ah Turim that "Love your fellow as yourself" is intended to make us keenly sensitive to another's feelings. For example, during sexual intercourse with one's wife, a man should not be thinking of another woman.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the third Rabbi of Lubavitch, explains that the Torah is not delineating the amount of love one must have for every Jew.
And what do you think about it? Is it a reasonable demand?...

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Hebrew       Transcription   Translation
אָהַב            'āhab               Loved
דְּרִישָׁה         derîšāh           Demand
רְגִישׁוּת         regîšût           Sensitivity
אַחְרָיוּת        'ahrāyût          Responsibility
תֵּאֵר            Tē'ēr              Delineate
כְּמוֹ             kemô             Like

Eli@eteachergroup.com

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About this blog
A blog for people who wants to know the Bible through the window of the original Hebrew to gain a deeper understanding of the text.