To My Dear Students,
The central verse of the center Book of Torah, Leviticus, is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I am sure you will agree that this is quite difficult to apply in daily life. The great sage Hillel phrased the command differently: "That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow."
Not doing to others what is hateful to you is easier to accomplish than loving your neighbor as yourself. Simply refraining from negative acts toward people is an easier guideline to relate to and is almost always reachable with a minimal degree of focus and discipline. Everyone knows what they would not want done to them. Everyone knows that all people have sensitivities and needs similar one to another. Everyone knows that everyone else is also a creation of G-d with an equal right to live and share in G-d's creation.
How can we ignore a needy person considering the anguish we have felt when our needs were ignored?
How can we exploit a person when we recall the frustration and bitterness we have felt when exploited?
How can we humiliate somebody considering that we know the pain we have felt when humiliated?
Those who think about how they would like to be treated will act appropriately to others.
Let us not lose sight of the ideal to love our neighbor, but even when we cannot attain
that goal we can, at minimum, not do to others what we would not want to be done to us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Your Rabbi |
