In this week’s Parsha we are enjoined to fulfill the commandment, “Ve’Ahavtah L’Reiacha Kamocha- You shall love yor fellow man as yourself!” This seems to be a very lofty ideal. How are we meant to bring ourselves to such a high level to love our fellow man as ourselves?!
The Talmud related that a would-be convert to Judaism approached the great sage, Hillel, and requested, “Teach me the entire Torah as I stand one one foot!” Instead of becoming annoyed at the man’s foolishness Hille replied, “What is hated in your eyes do not do to your fellow man. This is the basis of the whole Torah and the rest is commentary. Now go learn it.”
Evidently this teaching was based on the above verse to love one as oneself. The Rabbis asked, Why did Hillel say this in the negative, What is hated in your eyes etc…?” Why didn’t he say it in the positive form you shall love your fellow man as yourself?”
The answer is that this great level of positively loving others as yourself can only be applied when you view your fellow man as a part of yourself! All Jews are considered as one soul and one body. When we perceive this it becomes much easier to attain boundless love for others. However in the above anecdote the subject of Hillel’s teaching was still a non-jew. Therefore he could not have been expected to reach such a lofty level before his conversion and Hille instead accentuated the negative side. When an action is hated in your eyes, don’t act that way to your fellow man.
With this principle we can understand the juxtaposition between the above verse and the verse alongside it: You shall not take revenge or bear a grudge on the sons of your nation.” Although revenge may be “sweet, When we achieve the realization that we are as one soul, the same way a person would not take revenge on his own body when he accidently injures himself, we must not take revenge or bear a grudge on our fellow Jew who is actually an extension of ourselves!

By Rabbi Sharaga Thav
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