Be a "mensch"

Now we're going to take a look at a few commentators who give a broader interpretation of this imperative to love your neighbor.

Rambam Hilchot Deot (Laws of Counsel) 6:4

מצוה על כל אדם לאהוב את כל אחד ואחד מישראל כגופו, שנאמר "ואהבת לריעך כמוך". לפיכך צריך שיספר בשבחו ולחוס על ממונו, כמו שהוא חס על ממון עצמו ורוצה בכבוד עצמו; והמתכבד בקלון חברו, אין לו חלק לעולם הבא.

It is a mitzvah for every human to love each and everyone from Israel as he loves his own body. As it is written, "be-loving to your neighbor like yourself", therefore one must sing his praises, and show concern for his financial well-being, as he would for his own well-being and as he would for his own honor. Anyone who glorifies himself at the expense of another person has no portion in the world to come.

Rambam requires every person to be a "mensch" - don't walk around as if you are more important than anyone else and don't take advantage of someone else just for your own advancement.

While our natural inclination may be to give in to anger and hatred, the Torah warns us in Vayikra 19:18 not to take revenge or bear a grudge. According to this thinking not only can't we hold a grudge against someone who has wronged us, but loving your neighbor means we should actively forgive them for what they have done.

Hillel in Babylonian Talmud (known as BT - see explanation below), Shabbat 31a

 דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד

That which is hateful to you do not do to your friend

Hillel expands this pasuk to prohibit any undesirable behavior. He also uses the word "friend" instead of "neighbor" - is there a difference? Does this change how we understand whom the pasuk applies to? 

Hillel also words this as a negative ("do not do"), rather than the positive phrasing we see in the original pasuk ("Love your neighbor").

Let's take a closer look at this mandate to understand how to apply it and to whom it applies. 

Did You Know: The Talmud is a central text of Judaism and consists primarily of discussions of Jewish law and custom. There are also tales of folklore and historical anecdotes. The Talmud consists of what are known as the Gemara and the Mishnah. There are actually two versions of the Talmud: the Jerusalem, or Palestinian, Talmud (abbreviated as PT) and the Babylonian Talmud (abbreviated as BT). The Babylonian Talmud is more widely studied, and when someone refers generically, to "Talmud" this is the version they are referring to.

 


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