Love Thy Neighbour
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Remember the
following truth from our beloved Scriptures!
“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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“Love Thy
Neighbour”
With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
The prayers we recite overflow with
expressions of love and injunctions to love. It is at the very center of our
beloved Torah, in chapter 19 of Vayikra - Leviticus, we find an
instruction that is one of the most important of all: to “love your neighbour as
yourself.”
“... thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself: I am יְהוָה - the LORD” Vayikra -
Leviticus 19:18b (JPS-1917).
And indeed to do so is one of the great
principles of Torah. For love is an integral part of the regimen of holiness to
which Leviticus calls its readers: ‘not taking vengeance’, treating ‘strangers
and the needy with respect’, ‘offering sacrifices correctly on the altar’, ‘observing
the Sabbath’, and ‘performing many of other acts of justice and kindness’.
Every one of these Commandments are in fact a gift
of Elohim blessed be He, Who reaches out to us Hebrews!
We need to
understand that there are different kinds of love that what is spoken of
in Vayikra - Leviticus thus we really need to think a bit more about
different kinds of love. Let’s stipulate at the outset that the Torah, just
like philosophers and poets throughout the ages have written
about love, and we need to understand that something about the different sorts
of love and understand how they might be somehow related.
For example there
is the kind of love that Ya’aqov - Jacob feels for Ra’hel - Rachel
“And Ya’aqov -
Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days,
for the love he had to her” Bereshit - Genesis 29:20 (JPS).
And of course
there is our most loved and greatest proclamation of our love of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, with all of our heart, soul, and might, when we
twice or three times a day say the “Shema Yisrael” in Davarim - Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and in our other prayers to the proclamation of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s Oneness!
Elsewhere in the
Tanakh, there is the love of close friends, evident in the relationship
of Dovid - David and Yehonatan -
Jonathan.
The
alternative title for this special study could be …
“The
Elderly Rabbi and the Boy”
The above covers a considerable range of love,
but I would now like to change to a very special story. This wonderful and
powerful story, regarding a very special elderly Rabbi who shared something
very unusual in his Shul one Shabbat that I would like to tell
you about. This story is, I believe, one of the most powerful stories of
great love ever! I pray that it will touch you as it has touched me, as well as
it has touched countless thousands of other Yidden worldwide!
The Edel Polish Rabbi’s Powerful
Message of Love:
The story I am about to give you below is a
factual and a true story that occurred so many years ago in Poland. And it
is certainly a lesson that everyone who reads this study on love
should read this amazing story, and I am sure that it will be firmly
lodged in your memory bank for a long time to come, and that is wonderful, but
above all heed to his vital and most important message!
This wonderful Rabbi who so dearly
loved the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of
his fathers for so long, that one Shabbas service, after the reading of
the Torah and the Prophets he was about to deliver his usual Sabbath study.
However, on this day he stood close to the ‘Aron Kodesh’ (the Ark of
the Covenant) and he seemed to be pondering about the message that he was
about to give. Somehow the congregation noticed that he seemed to be perplexed
and he remained quiet for what seemed such a considerable
time, yet it was only several minutes.
After what seemed to be a lengthy silence and
with such sadness in his eyes, he commenced to speak, and he actually had a
tear in his eyes, as he said the following.
“Family and friends, today I will be giving you my shortest, but the most
important message I have ever given. ‘And it is this, but I ask you that you
listen very carefully and take heed, (and then he spoke more loudly) Repent one day before you die!’”
The Rabbi then took a step back, and
stood there in total silence for he finished his message that אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim had laid it so powerfully on his heart for his congregation on that
day when it was almost at the end of the morning service.
Throughout the entire Synagogue there seemed
to be a deadly silence and it seemed just to go on and on forever and some even
began to look at one another wondering what to do?
But then, suddenly after a spell, suddenly
somewhere from out of the silence, one of the young students stood up and he
spoke, and asked;
“But Rabbi, how will we know when we
are going to die?”
The Rabbi replied;
“Therefore my son repent NOW, repent this very
moment, for no-one knows when they are going to die. It could
be today, it could be tomorrow, thus be ready for HaShem, therefore
my son and all at this congregation, Repent Now!”
Beloved, this story contains a powerful truth,
because none of us know when our time will come, we
should realise that no one really knows when we are ready to leave
this life? Or do we have the attitude like the Judeans had at the time of the
rebuilding the Temple as we are told in the book
of Zecharyah - Zechariah, where they said;
“Let’s get on with our personal comfort and
build our homes and live, and leave the spiritual things for later.”
Sadly, far too many have become so involved in
our own lives and work, etc, rather than giving our all unto אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim,
blessed be His Sanctified Name, and sharing that LOVE with your ‘loved ones’, ‘neighbours’,
‘friends’, ‘strangers’ and ‘workmates’!
When we are obedient unto Him, you will have
the assurance, that through His grace and love our spiritual lives will be in
order! And אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim,
blessed be His Sanctified Name, will speak to your heart, and I pray that
as you have been reading this study, you may take an opportunity to set some
things right with individuals and especially with אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed
be He! Do it now!
For those who have a yearning to learn more
about the Torah and grow being a good and faithful Hebrew, there are many
valuable studies on hebraicstudies.net, thus enter
the index below.
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Note: “hebraicstudies” links are located down the
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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...
“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem;
walk in My statutes, and keep Mine
ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign
between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem”.
Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as
follows;
“The More Torah, the More Life”
For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,
He
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!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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