Loving Others NCSY Session
NJ NCSY Winter Regional 2016
Vayikra (Leviticus)-19:18 Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge against the members of your people, and you shall love your fellow as you love yourself; I am God.
Points to Ponder: In Judaism love is an obligation. How can this be? How can we be obligated to have an emotion?
Sifra 2:12
Kli Yakar-Vayikra 19:18
And you shall love your friend as you love yourself: Rabbi Akiva said, “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah.”
It seems that this gentile was a righteous convert and was not acting in a sarcastic manner, jokingly suggesting that he be taught the entire Torah while literally standing on one foot. Rather, he must have requested a method by which he could base all of the Torah’s commandments upon one unifying principle – “one foot” – in order to avoid the lack of clarity that converts customarily experience, since they do not learn about mitzvot from their youth. Therefore, Hillel gave him a brief form of this allencompassing principle, with which he would be able to remember all of the mitzvot.
Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud)- Shabbat 31a There is a story about a gentile who came before Shammai and said to him, “I will convert if you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Shammai pushed him away with the measuring stick that was in his hand. The gentile then went to Hillel, who helped him to convert. Hillel told him, “Whatever is hateful to you do not do to your friend. This is the entire Torah. The rest is its explanation. Go and study.”
Points to Ponder: Why do you think that loving others is such a fundamental commandment? Why do you think this commandment is an allencompassing principle in Judaism?
2|P a g e
Sefer Mitzvot Katan -- Mitzvat Asei 8 Rabbi Yochanan explained, “The First Temple was destroyed because of the sins of idolatry, adultery and murder.” Why was the Second Temple destroyed, when the members of that generation were great scholars and distinguished in their charitable acts? Because there was baseless hatred amongst them. Obviously, the punishment for baseless hatred is much worse, for those who committed the three cardinal sins of the Torah were redeemed after only seventy years of exile, while those whose only flaw was baseless hatred have not yet been redeemed, and the time of their redemption is not known. [The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. The Diaspora began c.138 C.E.] Points to Ponder: Why do you think the punishment is so severe for not loving others? What is the problem with not loving others?
Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 243
HaRav Abraham Isaac Kook
The basis for this mitzvah is well known, namely that a person will respond in kind to the way that he is treated. Fulfilling this mitzvah can bring peace to all living beings.
If hatred is what brought about the destruction of the Second Temple then surely, love will bring about the construction of the Third Temple.
Points to Ponder: Why would loving others bring peace and the construction of the Third Temple?
3|P a g e
Onkelos-Vayikra 19:18 And you shall have compassion for your fellow Jew as you have for yourself; I am God. Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 243 To love each member of Israel with a “soul love,” i.e. that one should have compassion for a Jew and his property just as one has compassion for himself and his own property. As the verse states, “And you shall love your fellow as you love yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). The elements included in this mitzvah follow the general principle that one should treat another person in the way he would treat himself, e.g. protecting his property, preventing him from being harmed, speaking only well of him, respecting him, and certainly not glorifying oneself at his expense. The Sages have said regarding this last point, “One who glorifies himself at the expense of his fellow has no share in the World to Come.” Whereas, one who behaves with others in a loving and peaceful manner fulfills the verse, “Israel, by whom I am glorified.”
Points to Ponder: How does showing compassion lead to love? Why should we treat others like ourselves?
Gila Manelson- Head to Heart, pp. 73-75 Love is the attachment that results from deeply appreciating another's goodness.
If we take time to look at the good in every person it will allows us to love everyone.
Points to Ponder: How can looking at the good of others enable us to love everyone?
4|P a g e
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch BeMagelei Hashana 1 p.203 The Hebrew word for love is אהבהwhich comes from the word ( הבgive). Love develops by giving and being committed to one another. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Made in Heaven, p. 8 Love and lust should not be confused. While love wants to give, lust only wants to take. Love is a reciprocal sentiment, where one identifies with the wants and the needs of the beloved. When the Torah provides a paradigm of love, it says, “You shall love your neighbor like yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Love means feeling about another person exactly the same as one feels about oneself. When you love a person, the person’s happiness is as important to you as your own happiness… Points to Ponder: What does it mean that love is giving?
Commentary of Rambam-Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 1:6 There are three types of love: a) Love because of what one stands to benefit from the other b) Love of pleasure c) Love of virtue…Love of virtue is when two people desire the same valuable thing, the essentially good, and each one wishes to collaborate with the other in obtaining that ideal for both of them.
Points to Ponder: Which of the three types of love do you think is best? Why? Can you give an example of each?
5|P a g e
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan- Made In Heaven, p. 11 The most perfect love in the world is between parent and child. When a mother holds an infant in her arms her heart overflows with a most unique love. She has this love not because she expects anything from the child but merely because the child exists. Love between parent and child exists because parent and child feel like one. True love does not expect anything, in return, nor does it anticipate pleasure. Pure love is a wholly altruistic feeling, the pleasure in giving, not the taking. The epitome of this form of love is the love a Parent has towards their child. Pirkei Avot 5:16 Any love that is dependent on something—when that something ceases, the love will also cease. But a love that is not dependent on anything will never cease to exist.
Points to Ponder: What is so special about a parents love for their child? How does a parent view their child? Why is it the epitome of a giving relationship?
6|P a g e
Love and the Cabbie – Art Buchwald Columnist Art Buchwald tells the story of a day when he was riding in a cab in New York City with a friend. When they got out of the cab, the friend said to the driver, “Thank you for the ride. You did a super job of driving this cab!” The taxi driver seemed stunned for a second and said, “Are you a wise guy or something?” “No,” said the man, “I’m serious. I admire the way you keep cool in heavy traffic. Not many cab drivers are able to do that. I’m glad I rode in your cab today!” “Yeah, sure,” the cab driver said and he drove off. Buchwald asked his friend, “What was that all about?” “I am trying to bring love back to New York City,” said the man. “I believe it’s the only thing that can save the city.” “You think one man can save New York City?” It’s not one man,” said the man. “I believe I have made that taxi driver’s day. Suppose he has twenty fares. He’s going to be nice to those twenty fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares will in turn be kinder to their employees, shopkeepers or waiters, or even their own families. Eventually, the goodwill could spread to at least a thousand people. Now that isn’t bad, is it?” “But you are depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill on to others.” “Maybe he won’t,” said the man. “But I might say something nice to ten different people today. If, out of ten, I can make three happy, then I can indirectly influence the attitudes of three thousand or more.” “You’re some kind of a nut,” said Buchwald to his friend. “That shows how cynical you’ve become,” said the man. “Take postal workers, for instance. The reason so many of them hate their work is because no one is telling them that they are doing a good job.” “But they aren’t doing a good job.” “They’re not doing a good job because they don’t believe anyone cares if they do or not,” replied the man. Buchwald and his friend continued walking down the street and noticed five workmen eating their lunch. The friend stopped and said, “That’s a magnificent job you men have done. It must be difficult and dangerous work.” The workmen looked at Buchwald’s friend suspiciously. “When will this job be finished?” the friend asked. “June,” growled one of the workmen. “Ah, that is really impressive. You must all be very proud of what you are doing here!” As they walked away, Buchwald said, “I still don’t think you are doing any good.” “On the contrary,” said the man, “when those workmen digest my words, they’ll feel better about what they are doing and somehow the city will benefit.” “But you can’t do this alone,” said Buchwald. “You’re just one man.” “But I’m not discouraged,” he said. “I’m hoping to enlist others in my campaign.”
Points to Ponder: What do you think of the story? Can doing something so small really change the world? Why or Why not?
7|P a g e
Vayikra (Leviticus)-19:18 Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge against the members of your people, and you shall love your fellow as you love yourself; I am God.
Points to Ponder: In Judaism love is an obligation. How can this be? How can we be obligated to have an emotion?
Sifra 2:12
Kli Yakar-Vayikra 19:18
And you shall love your friend as you love yourself: Rabbi Akiva said, “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah.”
It seems that this gentile was a righteous convert and was not acting in a sarcastic manner, jokingly suggesting that he be taught the entire Torah while literally standing on one foot. Rather, he must have requested a method by which he could base all of the Torah’s commandments upon one unifying principle – “one foot” – in order to avoid the lack of clarity that converts customarily experience, since they do not learn about mitzvot from their youth. Therefore, Hillel gave him a brief form of this allencompassing principle, with which he would be able to remember all of the mitzvot.
Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud)- Shabbat 31a There is a story about a gentile who came before Shammai and said to him, “I will convert if you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Shammai pushed him away with the measuring stick that was in his hand. The gentile then went to Hillel, who helped him to convert. Hillel told him, “Whatever is hateful to you do not do to your friend. This is the entire Torah. The rest is its explanation. Go and study.”
Points to Ponder: Why do you think that loving others is such a fundamental commandment? Why do you think this commandment is an allencompassing principle in Judaism?
2|P a g e
Sefer Mitzvot Katan -- Mitzvat Asei 8 Rabbi Yochanan explained, “The First Temple was destroyed because of the sins of idolatry, adultery and murder.” Why was the Second Temple destroyed, when the members of that generation were great scholars and distinguished in their charitable acts? Because there was baseless hatred amongst them. Obviously, the punishment for baseless hatred is much worse, for those who committed the three cardinal sins of the Torah were redeemed after only seventy years of exile, while those whose only flaw was baseless hatred have not yet been redeemed, and the time of their redemption is not known. [The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. The Diaspora began c.138 C.E.] Points to Ponder: Why do you think the punishment is so severe for not loving others? What is the problem with not loving others?
Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 243
HaRav Abraham Isaac Kook
The basis for this mitzvah is well known, namely that a person will respond in kind to the way that he is treated. Fulfilling this mitzvah can bring peace to all living beings.
If hatred is what brought about the destruction of the Second Temple then surely, love will bring about the construction of the Third Temple.
Points to Ponder: Why would loving others bring peace and the construction of the Third Temple?
3|P a g e
Onkelos-Vayikra 19:18 And you shall have compassion for your fellow Jew as you have for yourself; I am God. Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 243 To love each member of Israel with a “soul love,” i.e. that one should have compassion for a Jew and his property just as one has compassion for himself and his own property. As the verse states, “And you shall love your fellow as you love yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). The elements included in this mitzvah follow the general principle that one should treat another person in the way he would treat himself, e.g. protecting his property, preventing him from being harmed, speaking only well of him, respecting him, and certainly not glorifying oneself at his expense. The Sages have said regarding this last point, “One who glorifies himself at the expense of his fellow has no share in the World to Come.” Whereas, one who behaves with others in a loving and peaceful manner fulfills the verse, “Israel, by whom I am glorified.”
Points to Ponder: How does showing compassion lead to love? Why should we treat others like ourselves?
Gila Manelson- Head to Heart, pp. 73-75 Love is the attachment that results from deeply appreciating another's goodness.
If we take time to look at the good in every person it will allows us to love everyone.
Points to Ponder: How can looking at the good of others enable us to love everyone?
4|P a g e
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch BeMagelei Hashana 1 p.203 The Hebrew word for love is אהבהwhich comes from the word ( הבgive). Love develops by giving and being committed to one another. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Made in Heaven, p. 8 Love and lust should not be confused. While love wants to give, lust only wants to take. Love is a reciprocal sentiment, where one identifies with the wants and the needs of the beloved. When the Torah provides a paradigm of love, it says, “You shall love your neighbor like yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Love means feeling about another person exactly the same as one feels about oneself. When you love a person, the person’s happiness is as important to you as your own happiness… Points to Ponder: What does it mean that love is giving?
Commentary of Rambam-Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 1:6 There are three types of love: a) Love because of what one stands to benefit from the other b) Love of pleasure c) Love of virtue…Love of virtue is when two people desire the same valuable thing, the essentially good, and each one wishes to collaborate with the other in obtaining that ideal for both of them.
Points to Ponder: Which of the three types of love do you think is best? Why? Can you give an example of each?
5|P a g e
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan- Made In Heaven, p. 11 The most perfect love in the world is between parent and child. When a mother holds an infant in her arms her heart overflows with a most unique love. She has this love not because she expects anything from the child but merely because the child exists. Love between parent and child exists because parent and child feel like one. True love does not expect anything, in return, nor does it anticipate pleasure. Pure love is a wholly altruistic feeling, the pleasure in giving, not the taking. The epitome of this form of love is the love a Parent has towards their child. Pirkei Avot 5:16 Any love that is dependent on something—when that something ceases, the love will also cease. But a love that is not dependent on anything will never cease to exist.
Points to Ponder: What is so special about a parents love for their child? How does a parent view their child? Why is it the epitome of a giving relationship?
6|P a g e
Love and the Cabbie – Art Buchwald Columnist Art Buchwald tells the story of a day when he was riding in a cab in New York City with a friend. When they got out of the cab, the friend said to the driver, “Thank you for the ride. You did a super job of driving this cab!” The taxi driver seemed stunned for a second and said, “Are you a wise guy or something?” “No,” said the man, “I’m serious. I admire the way you keep cool in heavy traffic. Not many cab drivers are able to do that. I’m glad I rode in your cab today!” “Yeah, sure,” the cab driver said and he drove off. Buchwald asked his friend, “What was that all about?” “I am trying to bring love back to New York City,” said the man. “I believe it’s the only thing that can save the city.” “You think one man can save New York City?” It’s not one man,” said the man. “I believe I have made that taxi driver’s day. Suppose he has twenty fares. He’s going to be nice to those twenty fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares will in turn be kinder to their employees, shopkeepers or waiters, or even their own families. Eventually, the goodwill could spread to at least a thousand people. Now that isn’t bad, is it?” “But you are depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill on to others.” “Maybe he won’t,” said the man. “But I might say something nice to ten different people today. If, out of ten, I can make three happy, then I can indirectly influence the attitudes of three thousand or more.” “You’re some kind of a nut,” said Buchwald to his friend. “That shows how cynical you’ve become,” said the man. “Take postal workers, for instance. The reason so many of them hate their work is because no one is telling them that they are doing a good job.” “But they aren’t doing a good job.” “They’re not doing a good job because they don’t believe anyone cares if they do or not,” replied the man. Buchwald and his friend continued walking down the street and noticed five workmen eating their lunch. The friend stopped and said, “That’s a magnificent job you men have done. It must be difficult and dangerous work.” The workmen looked at Buchwald’s friend suspiciously. “When will this job be finished?” the friend asked. “June,” growled one of the workmen. “Ah, that is really impressive. You must all be very proud of what you are doing here!” As they walked away, Buchwald said, “I still don’t think you are doing any good.” “On the contrary,” said the man, “when those workmen digest my words, they’ll feel better about what they are doing and somehow the city will benefit.” “But you can’t do this alone,” said Buchwald. “You’re just one man.” “But I’m not discouraged,” he said. “I’m hoping to enlist others in my campaign.”
Points to Ponder: What do you think of the story? Can doing something so small really change the world? Why or Why not?
7|P a g e
