Do-not-hate
-hebraicstudies.net-
Please do NOT visit this
site on שַׁבָּת - Shabbat or on the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim -
Feasts!
Re Tanakh versions:
Throughout this site I
may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org”
(MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org”
(SEF), three brilliant versions, although JPS-1917 is my preferred version!
Colour coded
details of our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job,
the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth,
Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of
Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.
Please Note: Some
alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’
of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been
corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye
shall NOT ADD
TO THE WORD which I command
you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT,
that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy
4:2. (JPS-1917).
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Leviticus 19:17-18 (JPS-1917).
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy
heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of
him. Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge
against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself: I am יְהוָה - the LORD”. Vayikra - Leviticus 19:17-18. (JPS-1917
version of the Torah).
Let is look closer at these two verses.
Verse 17: Inner Resentment and Honest Confrontation:
“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart”: This prohibits harbouring silent, inward hatred. Commentary suggests that bottling up anger is destructive; the Torah commands us to address the source of your resentment rather than letting it fester.
“Thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour”: This is often misunderstood as a license to criticize. In Hebraic tradition, it is an obligation of love. If a friend does something wrong, you are too privately and gently confront them so they can correct their path”
“And not bear sin because of him”: This has two primary interpretations:
Complicity: If you see someone doing wrong and say nothing, you become a “silent partner” in their guilt.
Manner of Rebuke: You must rebuke them in a way that does not publicly shame them; if you embarrass them, you actually commit a sin yourself.
Verse 18: ‘Vengeance’, ‘Grudges’, and the Golden Rule:
Vengeance vs. Grudge: We should treat these using an example of lending tools:
Vengeance is saying, “I will not lend you my shovel because you would not lend me your axe”.
Bearing a grudge is lending the tool but saying, “I am not like you; I will lend it even though you would not lend me yours”. Both are forbidden because they preserve a sense of “me vs. you”.
“thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”: this is frequently known as the ‘Golden Rule’, this is the “great principle” of the Torah. It establishes that the way we naturally care for your own needs, ‘honour’, and ‘safety’ which should be the baseline for how we treat everyone else!
“I am יְהוָה - the LORD”: This concluding signature serves as a reminder that He knows what is in the “heart” (and where hatred is hidden) and remember that these social laws are Divine commandments, not just good advice!
However, Rambam was aware that this was not the plain sense of the text. Taken in context, what we have before us is a subtle account of the psychology of interpersonal relations.
Amazingly ‘Judaism’ has sometimes been accused by Christians of being about justice rather than love (However I am sure we note that in verse 18 we were very clearly told; “Love your neighbour”. However, I will tell you: there is a wonderful teaching I would suggest, about something we should learn, and that is; “Who is the greatest hero? It is one who turns an enemy into a friend”!
What sets the Torah apart is its understanding of the psychology regarding hatred.
If someone has done us harm, it is natural to feel aggrieved. What then are we to do in order to fulfil the command, “Do not hate your brother in your heart”?
Remember what was written in verse 18? “Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.
The Torah’s answer is: ‘Speak’, ‘Converse’, ‘Challenge’, ‘Remonstrate’. It may be that the other person had a good reason for doing what he did. No matter what, it should be talking through it, is the best way of restoring a broken relationship. Once again we encounter here one of the leitmotivs of Hebraism: the power of speech to ‘create’, ‘sustain’, and ‘mend relationships’.
There is another equally powerful example in Bereishit:
Now,
What is so impressive about our beloved Torah, is that it both articulates the highest of high ideals, and at the same time speaks to us as human beings. If we were special, it would be easy to love one another. But we are not. An ethic that commands us to love our enemies, without any hint as to how we are to achieve this, is simply unliveable. Instead, the Torah sets out a realistic programme: Communication.
By being honest with one another, talking
things through, we may be able to
achieve reconciliation, not always, to be sure, but often. How much distress
and even bloodshed might be spared if humanity heeded this very simple command!
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Please Note: “hebraicstudies”
links are located down the page!
This site was originally created, for those who
desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on
your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always
seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for
His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However
this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be
He, said the following via several of our prophets...
“Hebraic Studies”
motto is as follows;
“The
More Torah, the More Life”,
For Elohim is the One who gave us our ... “Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom =
Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts,
be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as
well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your
daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before food
and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be
with you!
Enter ...