Love your Neighbour as Yourself

-hebraicstudies.net-

Please do NOT visit this site on Shabbat or on the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts!

“This is My Name Forever, and this is My Memorial to all Generations.” Shemot - Exodus 3:15. (JPS).

“I am יְהוָה, that is My Name; and My glory will I not give to another”. Yeshayahu – Isaiah 42:8. (JPS)

Throughout this site I will use any of the following three versions of the TaNaKh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS), 2. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), 3. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC).

Colour coded details of the - 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.

Some minor alterations have been made relating to Names and Attributes having been corrected.

YYYYYYY

Love your Neighbour as Thyself

Vayikra - Leviticus chapter 19, verses 17, 18 & 19a.

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

The following three verses in Hebrew below are from Vayikra - Leviticus chapter 19, verses 17 to 19 (JPS), and it states the following;

1... In Ivrit - Hebrew:

לֹא-תִשְׂנָא אֶת-אָחִיךָ, בִּלְבָבֶךָ; הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת-עֲמִיתֶךָ, וְלֹא-תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא

לֹא-תִקֹּם וְלֹא-תִטֹּר אֶת-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ: אֲנִי, יְהוָה

אֶת-חֻקֹּתַי, תִּשְׁמֹרוּ-בְּהֶמְתְּךָ לֹא-תַרְבִּיעַ כִּלְאַיִם, שָׂדְךָ לֹא-תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם; וּבֶגֶד כִּלְאַיִם שַׁעַטְנֵז, לֹא יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ

2... In English:

17 ... “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall love your neighbor as thyself; I am יְהוָה, (the LORD).

18 ... Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am יְהוָה”.

19 ...Ye shall keep My Statues (Law). Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed; neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together”.

Vayikra - Leviticus chapter 19: 17, 18 & 19a. (JPS).

YYYYYYY

This is one of the most famous teachings in our faith (Judaism). It is a commandment that highlights the importance of treating others with ‘respect’, ‘kindness’, and ‘empathy’. However the phrase “as thyself” suggests something much deeper, it implies that loving others requires for us first to love oneself.

Judaism teaches that self-love is not just about indulgence or selfishness, but about your understanding your worth, nurturing your well-being, and creating an environment where you can thrive.

This in turn, it allows you to extend love to others with authenticity generosity and compassion. The verse “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” suggests that self-care is a prerequisite for true empathy and love for others!

Let us look at the above, Vayikra - Leviticus 19:17–19, from a more serious viewpoint!

From Rebuke to Radical Love:

When we really think about the above verses in Vayikra - Leviticus chapter 19, it sits at the heart of the Torah’s קָדוֹשׁ (Ka’dosh) - Holiness Code, a weaving ritual that demands together with the faithful ethics of our daily lives. Whilst verses 17 to 19 form a tight unit that moves us from confronting hidden resentment to embodying a community defined by a loving warm and mutual care.

Verse-by-Verse Snapshot:

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your neighbour, and not bear sin because of him”. verse 17.

Hiding hatred only empowers it. By forbidding “hate … in your heart,” the text insists on facing any kind of conflict head-on.

“Surely rebuke” is not a license to shame; it is an obligation to correct it with honesty and integrity.

The caveat (warning) “and not bear sin because of him” warns us: rebuke must never be vindictive or demeaning for that matter!

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge … but you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” verse 18.

Revenge and grudges are the dark twins of ‘unaddressed hate’. They keep relationships in perpetual debt. The command to “love your neighbour as yourself” stands as the chapter’s ethical summit. It reframes B’nai Yisrael’s social life around ‘empathy’ rather than what trend’s to be more normal in the world, for all too often they are demanding “retaliation”.

“You shall keep my statutes (Law). Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed; neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together”. verse 19.

After elevating interpersonal ethics, the text pivots back to ritual boundary-markers: distinctions in ‘species’, ‘seeds’, and ‘fabrics’ etc. This *Juxtaposition underscores that holiness in Leviticus is both moral and with integrity!

*“Juxtaposition”, the meaning of the word is, “The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

“Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”. verse 18.

The above is the Theological Keystone:

Even from ancient times Hebrew teachers called this: “the Great Principle of the Torah.” It leverages our own self-care as the calibration tool: for if we guard our own dignity, we must grant the very same unto others!

“I am יְהוָה” - Elohim’s Signature on Ethics:

This Divine signature reminds us all, that these commands are not merely a social contract but part of the covenantal decrees. Elohim’s identity as being קָדוֹשׁ (Ka’dosh) - Holy, being just, and so compassionate under girds the call to mirror those attributes in community life.

The “I am” formula reframes obedience from external compliance to a relationship of trust and belonging.

How can we Live it out today:

Treat disagreements as opportunities for honest a quiet conversation, and do not hold silent grudges. Resist the instinct to retaliate; choose forgiveness as a means of personal and communal healing.

Practice “neighbourly love” concretely: share resources, stand up for the vulnerable, speak truth with kindness!

Remember that ‘ethical living’ springs from knowing ourselves beloved by אֱלֹהִים (God) only then can we love others “as ourselves.”

I pray that the blessed teachings in this chapter will guide all of us to rebuild broken fences and then elevate every relationship with empathy watching it reshape the way you engage with those around you!

YYYYYYY

In Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:

Which part of this study or a line has touched you the most? And how do you feel, are you doing well, being a faithful Jew upholding as many of our Mitzvoth’s possible? I am well aware that the modern world sadly contains far too many problems as well as enticements, which usually tends to throw many off track. Thus, the various struggles that may be taking place in your life today, can so often have sad and cruel effects upon your life? Try and pray more often and return again unto our Heavenly Father!

In conclusion, below is one of my favourite verses from our beloved Tanakh!

“Thus saith צְבָאוֹת יְהוָה (the LORD of Hosts): Return unto Me, saith צְבָאוֹת יְהוָה (the LORD of Hosts) and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת-יְהוָה (the LORD of Hosts)”. Zecharyah - Zechariah 1:3. (JPS).

YYYYYYY

“Hebraic Studies” Motto is as follows;

“The More Torah, the More Life”,

For our Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!

May the 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 תְּפִלָּה -Te’fee’lah (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah (blessings) before food and drinks, etc!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

iiEnter the Main Site IndexI

http://www.hebraicstudies.net/Site-Index.htm

0Or Return to the FRONT PAGE0

https://www.hebraicstudies.net

-hebraicstudies.net-

Email the Rabbi

RBA@hebraicstudies.net

If the email link does not open - You can also copy the link and use it.

Although the author does not believe in having to copyright “Hebraic Studies” which commenced in the mid 1980’,

but there have been occasions where there parts of his studies have been taken and quoted out of context

under his name, and thus he has been misquoted by those who have their own reasons for doing so.

Thus, it is only for this reason these works are covered under strict ...