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Kedoshim | Love Your Fellow As Yourself

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Introduction 

As Parashat Kedoshim opens, the Torah continues to shift its focus away from laws associated exclusively with the Cohanim and their sacrificial service, towards laws which encompass the people of Israel.  This change of emphasis began subtly last week nearing the end of Acharei Mot, as the Torah tabulated the list of forbidden relations that the People of Israel are to observe.  It continues in a more pronounced fashion in this week's reading, with the Parasha beginning with the unusual introductory phrase: "Speak to the ENTIRE congregation of Israel and say to them 'Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.'"  As Rashi (11th century France) notes: "the laws of Parashat Kedoshim were stated to the multitudes of Israel, because the majority of the Torah's basic principles are contained herein." 

 

The laws of Parashat Kedoshim are numerous and variegated.  They address such diverse issues as reverence for one's parents, the prohibition of idolatry, laws of sacrifice, laws concerning the gifts to the poor from the produce of the field, the prohibition of consuming the fruit of the tree during its first three years, Sabbath observance, the equal treatment of converts, as well as a host of others.  In short it may be said that the foundations of Parashat Kedoshim are the twin cornerstones of 'Bein Adam LaMakom' and 'Bein Adam LeChaveiro,' namely those laws that govern our relationship with God and those laws that govern our relationship with other people.  What is particularly striking in the Torah's formulation, however, is the conscious commingling of these two seemingly distinct realms.  Laws that we might otherwise consider to have a purely 'ritual' basis are freely interspersed among laws that we would consider to be more a function of social responsibility or concern for the welfare of other people.

 

A Basic Law

 

One of these laws is well known to all students of the Torah.  In fact, it is an idea that has been adopted by all civilized human beings, in every part of the globe.  Any person who possesses even the most rudimentary system of moral values lives by this principle or variations of it, whether they are a Jew or a gentile, a believer or a skeptic, ritually observant or completely secular.  Address the following query to each and every individual: "if there is a single postulate by which your relationship with other human beings is governed, what is it?"  The response proffered will no doubt be a variation of the Torah's fundamental imperative "LOVE YOUR FELLOW AS YOURSELF" (Vayikra 19:18).

 

In this week's lesson, we shall examine this concept in greater depth, studying its context, considering its related aspects, and exploring its scope as it finds expression in the primary sources and in the classical commentaries.  We shall consider how the Torah's formulation of the principle is unique and in fact mirrors the larger structure of Parashat Kedoshim of which this law is but a small part. 

 

The Local Context

 

"…Do not pervert justice, do not give special consideration to the poor nor show deference to the great, but judge your people fairly.  Do not go around as a gossiper among your people, do not stand idly by over your neighbor's blood, I am God.  Do not hate your brother in your heart, surely admonish your fellow and do not bear iniquity because of him.  Do not take revenge nor bear a grudge against the children of your people, but love your fellow as yourself, I am God.  Observe my decrees: Do not crossbreed your livestock, do not plant your field with diverse species of seeds, and do not wear a garment that contains a forbidden mixture of fabrics…" (Vayikra 19:15-19). 

 

The broader matrix of which 'love your fellow' is a part is thus an assorted series of laws that in the main attempt to foster equitable and amicable relationships with other people.  We are not to show partiality in judgement, we are not to destroy confidence through slander nor harbor ill will in the recesses of our minds.  We are enjoined to abjure revenge and to transcend resentment, to love each fellow as we love ourselves.  Surely this series of laws has the potential to transform human society, to refine and to ennoble it, to create a community and commonwealth predicated on the precious principles of justice, trust, and love.  What is the secret for its achievement? 

 

A Recurring Phrase

 

One of the recurring phrases in Parashat Kedoshim, which might be offered as its characteristic aphorism, is the expression 'I am God,' or 'I am the Lord your God.'  This expression occurs nineteen times in the Parasha, primarily in its first half.  What is the significance of these words that serve as the postscript to so many laws?  In the frame of reference of the Torah, these words constitute an emphatic admonition or exhortation to carry out and to fulfill.  The words of the Torah are binding because they are the words of the Living God. 

 

The difference between the universally accepted but typically misquoted  'Love your fellow as yourself,' and the Torah's statement of 'Love your fellow as yourself, I am God' is thus decisive.  The former is an expression of propriety and social etiquette, forever subject to the whims and weaknesses of capricious human nature and therefore ultimately unenforceable.  It can never be more than an admirable opinion, tenuously tethered to the insubstantial anchor of cultural relativism.  Any number of individuals may be true exemplars of the idea in their personal lives, having decided to adopt the principle as their particular creed.  On a communal, national or global level, however, the destiny of the many is often decided by the less scrupulous and the more brutal. Thus, although no rational civilization would ever deny the principle's centrality, it is nevertheless often honored more in its breach than in its fulfillment. 

 

'Love your neighbor as yourself, I am God' represents, on the other hand, the only potential for the creation of a just and moral society.  Although there may be no means of ensuring compliance with this principle in a human court, any person who sincerely recognizes the sovereignty of God will provide the most effective enforcement possible: regulation and control of the self.  Of course, there are no guarantees that those who ostensibly live by God's laws will succeed in vanquishing the twin demons of self-interest and greed.  Nevertheless, a precept formulated as an obligation, as an emphatic demand of an Absolute Being, carries a moral weight far more substantial than a mere maxim for living. 

 

The Critical Juxtaposition

 

That God is the critical component in this equation is attested to by what probably constitutes the most glaring juxtaposition in the Torah: "Do not take revenge nor bear a grudge against the children of your people, but love your fellow as yourself, I am God.  Observe My decrees: Do not crossbreed your livestock, do not plant your field with diverse species of seeds, and do not wear a garment that contains a forbidden mixture of fabrics…."  The principle of loving one's fellow as oneself, of extending the type of treatment to others that one would want to receive in turn, is an idea so eminently reasonable that no rational human being could deny its indispensability as the basis of a functioning society.  But here, this paradigm of common sense is followed by the prohibitions of forbidden mixtures. These so-called 'decrees' or 'chukim' represent a body of laws that in the end defy rational explanation, whose sole justification for fulfillment is the fact that they are ordained and commanded by a Transcendent God.  "Observe My decrees" in spite of their suprarational status serves as a dazzling contrast to "Love your fellow as yourself."  The resounding message of the Torah is clear: in the final analysis, the bedrock of both types of legislation, namely laws that address other people as well as laws that govern our relationship with God, is the same.  It is the recognition of God and the acknowledgement of His supremacy and providence that alone can serve as the vehicle for the creation of a better world. 

 

Hillel and the Proselyte

 

A very famous Talmudic passage sheds an entirely different light on the dictum of 'Love your fellow.'  The incident recorded in Tractate Shabbat 31A is part of a larger trilogy of stories that in themselves provide much grist for additional study, but for the purposes of brevity we shall address only the tale that is directly relevant to our discussion.  "Our Sages related: a heathen once came before Shammai (preeminent sage in 1st century BCE Israel) and said to him: 'accept me for conversion on condition that you will teach me the entire Torah as I stand on one foot.'  Shammai pushed him away with the builder's cubit that was in his hand.  The heathen then came before Hillel (paramount sage in 1st century BCE Israel and president of the Sanhedrin) who accepted him for conversion.  Hillel said to him: 'what is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.  This is the entire Torah, and the rest is commentary.  Go and learn.'"

 

Hillel's words contain a number of remarkable features, and at first glance it is difficult to reconcile his formulation with the principle enunciated by the Torah.  Why didn't Hillel simply quote the well-known verse from Parashat Kedoshim that appears to convey the same message?  In what way does his negative formulation (what is HATEFUL...do NOT do) differ from the positive one (DO LOVE your fellow...)?  How can Hillel claim that this principle constitutes the entire Torah, when in fact we have seen that even in its local context of Parashat Kedoshim it is but a single law among many? 

 

Rabbi Akiva's 'Important Principle' and its Relation to Hillel's Dictum

 

For the purposes of comparison and contrast, let us quote from another source that seems to return matters to their proper perspective:  "Do not take revenge nor bear a grudge against the children of your people" – one may, however, be vengeful towards others.  'Love your fellow as yourself' – Rabbi Akiva said: this is an important principle of the Torah.  Said ben Azzai to him: 'This is the book of the generations of humanity…' (Bereishit 5:1) is a more inclusive principle" (Sifra Kedoshim 7, 4:12).  On the one hand, the words of Rabbi Akiva, the beloved 2nd century CE sage whose storied life and tumultuous times are among the most significant in Jewish history, appear to more accurately address the commandment of 'love your fellow.'  Unlike Hillel who spoke of THE ENTIRE Torah, Akiva's more modest assessment speaks of AN important principle.  On the other hand, the disagreement with ben Azzai is perplexing, and the proof text that he proffers is puzzling.  But, most troubling of all, the initial part of the source seems to countenance vengefulness towards the 'others' who stand in contrast to the 'children of your people,' but are otherwise imprecisely defined.

 

Does Hillel fundamentally disagree with Rabbi Akiva's statement or is it possible to reconcile the two?  Do ben Azzai and Rabbi Akiva differ or are they perhaps addressing two different aspects of the issue?  Could it be that all three of the views are complementary rather than at odds with each other?  Let us begin by noting the respective audiences in the two sources.  Hillel is responding to the somewhat incredulous query of the potential convert.  At the time of their fateful meeting, however, the man is still a 'heathen.'  The heathen or 'nochri' of the Rabbinic world was an individual who worshipped idols, and could therefore not be depended upon to necessarily act according to any moral compunctions.  Hillel suggests to the man that there is a principle of the Torah that speaks to the lowest common denominator, a fundamental idea that is universal in scope and constitutes the touchstone of even the most rudimentary moral system: What is hateful to you do not do to your fellow. It is an idea that implies no concern for the other, no interest in their welfare, and no preoccupation with their wellbeing. It is not an expression of love or of desire to improve the lot of another that underlies Hillel's dictum.  In fact, one might say that Hillel's formulation is actually selfish: I must avoid hurting another or harming their property, in order to escape a similar fate befalling myself.

 

Nevertheless, Hillel is forcefully enunciating the idea that true moral development begins with the dawning recognition that to desist from harming another is the beginning of the emergence from the proverbial cave. The nasty, brutish and short life of the inhabitant of the state of nature can be immeasurably lengthened and improved by the adoption of this most obvious of principles.  If only the heathens (and Jews) could refrain from hating, harming or hurting their fellows the world would be well on its way to achieving moral perfection.

 

Akiva, in contrast, is speaking of something else entirely.  The Torah says: "LOVE your fellow as yourself."  Whatever else this difficult phrase means it surely implies a dimension of moral conduct that far surpasses what Hillel describes.  Love, the loftiest of human emotions, clearly describes an intimate relationship, a care and concern for someone else's property and person, a selfless surrender of one's own interests for the advancement of another's.  Hillel speaks of what is hateful, and Akiva speaks of love.  Hillel speaks of desisting, and Akiva speaks of deed.  Hillel addresses the heathen and Akiva speaks to the Jew.  In other words, Hillel attempts to formulate the most basic moral principle that the Torah expects all civilized human beings to adopt as their starting point in moral development.  Akiva, though, reminds us that there is at the same time an abundantly more elevated dimension of moral conduct that the Torah demands the Jew to implement with respect to his fellow.  

 

The Contribution of ben Azzai

 

What is the source for Hillel's idea? Where does the Torah speak of a basic, fundamental moral idea that encompasses all of humanity?  This is provided, it seems, by ben Azzai.  It will be recalled that in retort to Rabbi Akiva's characterization of 'love your fellow' as an 'important' principle of the Torah, ben Azzai provided what he deemed to be a more 'inclusive' statement.  "This is the book of the generations of humanity" is a verse from the early chapters of the book of Bereishit that introduces the Torah's first genealogical list.  The descendents of Adam, the first man, are individually enumerated and their life spans are recorded.  This introductory verse, though, concludes in a most extraordinary fashion: "This is the book of the generations of humanity, on the day that the Lord created humanity, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE FASHIONED THEM." 

 

The Torah was the first and only code to promulgate the revolutionary idea that all human beings, irrespective of race, color or creed, were descended from a single man and woman who were fashioned in the 'Divine Image.'  This implied, by extension, that all members of humanity were related to each other by a common bond of blood and destiny, and that all were equal in the sight of their benevolent Creator.  Parenthetically, it obviously follows that in a polytheistic system that recognizes a multiplicity of gods, there cannot possibly be an idea of a single, united humanity.  The enslavement of others, the oppression of nation by nation or of a man by his fellow that was celebrated in other cultures was thus renounced by the Torah at the outset, as an abrogation of the fundamental dignity invested in the human being by God Himself.

 

All people have a right to be treated with respect and honor by virtue of their 'Divine Image,' the basic, elemental dignity that is a function not of man's fancy but of God's fiat.  Jew or non-Jew, heathen or Monotheist, all were created in 'God's image.'  This is the statement advanced by ben Azzai, and Hillel's principle is its direct consequence.  Akiva does not disagree with these notions, but comes to impress upon us that there is an additional obligation placed upon the Jew with respect to his fellow, and it is burdensome indeed.  It is the responsibility of love.  In another departure from prevailing thought, the Torah advanced the notion that to be part of the Jewish people was to accept an obligation to be concerned with the welfare of other Jews and interested in their fate to a degree heretofore only extended to one's closest relatives.  Or, to utilize the even more extreme language of the Torah: "Love your fellow as YOURSELF," for the average person recognizes no more intense love than that which he feels for himself! 

 

Thus, in the final analysis there need not be any disagreement among the sources or the sages.  There are indeed different levels of responsibility that address the concentric spheres of our relationships with others and with the world.  To the world, humanity at large, one must show deference, for all are created in God's image.  Nonetheless, one's relationship cannot be an entirely unconditional one, for other human beings may not be bound by the moral constraints of the Torah.  Thus, in the language of the Sifra, one may exercise 'vengeance or a grudge' for these two things are RESPONSES to the provocations of 'others.'  When willfully harmed by the proverbial 'heathen,' an epithet for one who does not act according to any accepted standard of civilized or moral behavior, one may have to REACT in kind. Not to do so is to invite not only further aggression, but an actual threat to one's survival.

 

Towards the Jewish people, however, the Torah demands that the individual Jew show a heightened sense of interest and sensitivity, a 'love' that implies concern and care, and that to a large measure is unconditional.  To act with love is to nurture a moral outlook that is not only benevolent and altruistic, but ultimately ennobling as well.

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

Notes for further study: see the disagreement of the Rambam (Laws of Opinions 6:3-4 and Laws of Mourning 14:1) and the Ramban (commentary to Vayikra 19:17) concerning the literalness of the Torah's command to love one's fellow "as one's self."  Also see the Mishna and Gemara in Tractate Sanhedrin 45A concerning the extension of the principle even to the criminal convicted of a capital crime!     

 

 

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