Dear Friends,
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
From this week’s Torah portion, arguably, it is one of the most compelling of sacred verses. Many mistakenly believe it is part of the Ten Commandments. (No – those are in Exodus; this week we are In mid-Leviticus.)
So, what could be some implications of this verse?
Firstly, it charges us to act lovingly towards the next person. It is a command of behavior, not feelings. All too often we think of love as a feeling, and commonly, it is. Yet, in this case, Torah is charging us to behave lovingly, not feel lovingly. This is key. Our commandment is a positive charge instructing us to behave in a loving manner. What might that include? Perhaps acting charitably, with magnanimity, with kindness and decency, forgivingly, and with deep respect for the other. This is a big command.
Secondly, the command instructs us to behave accordingly towards the next person in our community. It does not charge us to do so towards family, but towards the one who does not live within our walls. It is instructing us towards crafting a civilized community and building trust and kindness among persons living in proximity. Yet, it does not define proximity. Could not Canada be construed as a neighbor to New York, thus extending our obligation to be kindly to those beyond our block, our own town, but to the next sovereign state? If so, would not Mexico, by extension, be neighbors to the United States, and further we could extrapolate around the globe? Clearly, the undefined nature of “neighbor” allows for a grand definition.
Lastly (for now), the command asserts, that we should love these others as we love ourselves, assuming a measure of self-love. Or, it could be suggesting that we should love the other as we might wish to be loved (Note, the Christian version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Jewish version, from the Mishnah, our earliest post-biblical code of Jewish law, includes the teaching, “What is hateful to you, do not do to others.” The behavioral argument is that unlike the Christian version in which we cannot control what others might du to us, the Jewish version offers the charge not to be harmful. One tries to promote goodliness’ the other endeavors to eliminate harm.) In our Torah portion, our own feelings are inserted in the calculus. It is not enough simply to act lovingly towards a neighbor; we must feel the value and be included in the relationship, its effect, and its affect.
Thus, this week: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
It is worth reflecting on this Shabbat of Mothers’ Day weekend!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
From this week’s Torah portion, arguably, it is one of the most compelling of sacred verses. Many mistakenly believe it is part of the Ten Commandments. (No – those are in Exodus; this week we are In mid-Leviticus.)
So, what could be some implications of this verse?
Firstly, it charges us to act lovingly towards the next person. It is a command of behavior, not feelings. All too often we think of love as a feeling, and commonly, it is. Yet, in this case, Torah is charging us to behave lovingly, not feel lovingly. This is key. Our commandment is a positive charge instructing us to behave in a loving manner. What might that include? Perhaps acting charitably, with magnanimity, with kindness and decency, forgivingly, and with deep respect for the other. This is a big command.
Secondly, the command instructs us to behave accordingly towards the next person in our community. It does not charge us to do so towards family, but towards the one who does not live within our walls. It is instructing us towards crafting a civilized community and building trust and kindness among persons living in proximity. Yet, it does not define proximity. Could not Canada be construed as a neighbor to New York, thus extending our obligation to be kindly to those beyond our block, our own town, but to the next sovereign state? If so, would not Mexico, by extension, be neighbors to the United States, and further we could extrapolate around the globe? Clearly, the undefined nature of “neighbor” allows for a grand definition.
Lastly (for now), the command asserts, that we should love these others as we love ourselves, assuming a measure of self-love. Or, it could be suggesting that we should love the other as we might wish to be loved (Note, the Christian version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Jewish version, from the Mishnah, our earliest post-biblical code of Jewish law, includes the teaching, “What is hateful to you, do not do to others.” The behavioral argument is that unlike the Christian version in which we cannot control what others might du to us, the Jewish version offers the charge not to be harmful. One tries to promote goodliness’ the other endeavors to eliminate harm.) In our Torah portion, our own feelings are inserted in the calculus. It is not enough simply to act lovingly towards a neighbor; we must feel the value and be included in the relationship, its effect, and its affect.
Thus, this week: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
It is worth reflecting on this Shabbat of Mothers’ Day weekend!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
