Hatred of the Heart/2

Hatred of the Heart

Exegetical Approaches

This topic is currently in progress

Overt and Covert Hating

It is prohibited to hate another both through overt actions or words, and secretly, when one's emotions are kept in the heart.

Sources:RambanVayikra 19:17About R. Moshe b. Nachman #1,¹ perhaps RalbagVayikra 19:17About R. Levi b. Gershom²

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ" – Ramban asserts that even though the verse only speaks of hating another in one's heart, the prohibition also refers to overtly hating the other.  The text mentions "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" only because it is more common (הזכיר הכתוב בהווה).  Ralbag alternatively suggests that the verse specified "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" to teach that even such hating, which might not harm another at all, is also prohibited.

Commandments of the heart – This approach assumes that the Torah commands us to strive to control not just our actions but our emotions as well.

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ" – This approach might explain that even though one is not allowed to hate, and thus there should never be a case of "חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ", the Torah knows that human nature is such that hatred is likely, and thus warns that even if you do hate another, that should not stop you from helping them and their animals.

Context – Ralbag suggests that the ordering of the commandments of Parashat Kedoshim follows that of the Decalogue.  Thus, the verses speaking of just judicial proceedings, the equivalent of "לֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר", come before the commandments regarding hating and loving, related to "לֹא תַחְמֹד".  There is no intrinsic connection between the groupings, however, and they do not inform one another.

"הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ" – According to this position, the command to rebuke another which is found at the end of the verse is a distinct commandment.  Ralbag maintains that it is brought here because it is likely that hating another will lead one to avoid chastising them³ and attempting to improve their ways.⁴

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ"

Hating Only in One's Heart

The prohibition is limited to the internal emotion of hatred.

Sources:Sifra Vayikra19:16-17About the Sifra Vayikra, Bavli ArakhinArakhin 16bAbout the Bavli, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)Vayikra 19:17About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), RashbamVayikra 19:17About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraVayikra 19:17Long Commentary Shemot 20:1About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,⁵ R. Yosef Bekhor ShorVayikra 19:17About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Yereim 195Yereim 195, RambamSefer HaMitzvot 302Hilchot Deiot 6:5About R. Moshe b. Maimon, RambanVayikra 19:17About R. Moshe b. Nachman

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ" – These commentators assume, as it seems from the simple reading of the verse, that "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" limits the prohibition to hating in one's heart.

What is wrong with an internal emotion?

• Two-faced Behavior – Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) and Rashbam maintain that the verse is speaking of a case where a person is two-faced, hating another inside while externally ingratiating him and pretending to be his friend.⁶
• Expressing Emotions is Positive – Rashbam and R"Y Bekhor Shor suggest that the verse is emphasizing that if one has wronged you, you should not keep the hatred inside, but rather openly rebuke the other for their action.⁷ They assume that so doing will promote understanding and prevent hatred.  
• Thoughts can be sinful – Ibn Ezra speaks of three categories of commandments, those of the heart, mouth and hand, setting the first as the most important. He points out that though many assume that there is no sin in having negative thoughts, this is not so. The Torah teaches to mind one's heart as well as one's deeds.

Overt hating

• Included in other prohibitions – The Rambam maintains that although our verse does not include instances in which one says aloud or otherwise overtly shows his hatred to another, that too is nonetheless prohibited but is subsumed under the separate prohibition of "לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר" and the positive commandment to love another.
• Overt hatred of a sinner is allowed – The Yereim asserts that if you rebuke another who is deserving of hatred for their deeds, it is not a problem to hate them, for this is not concealed hatred but overt.⁸

"הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ" – According to many of these commentators, the verse juxtaposes the two commands because they are  two sides of a coin.  The Torah is teaching that what one should not do and what one should do instead.  Rather than keeping one's negative emotions towards another inside, one must  tell  the other of his wrongdoings.

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ"

• According to Ibn Ezra, this verse refers not to someone you hate (since that is prohibited) but to someone who hates you.
• Rambam and the Yereim, following Pesachim 113b, assert that there is one exception to the prohibition against hating .  If a person has committed a sin and despite your warnings, continues in that path, you are allowed to hate that person.  The phrase "שֹׂנַאֲךָ" in this verse refers to such a person; the Torah dictates that despite being permitted to dislike the individual, you must nonetheless help them.

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" – Ibn Ezra says that this is the opposite of the commandment not to hate, and both are commandments of the heart.

Context – These commentators do not address the larger context of the verse.

Actions Stemming from Hatred

The prohibition is limited to external deeds, when one acts upon one's hatred of another.

Sources:R. D"Z Hoffmann⁹

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ" – Though the prohibition refers to actions, these stem from the relationship one has towards the other in his heart and thus the verse speaks of "hatred in the heart".

Commandments of the heart – According to R. D"Z Hoffmann, the Torah is not prohibiting one's thoughts, but rather commanding one to ensure that those thoughts do not lead to negative actions¹⁰.  He compares it to the commandment not to covet, which he similarly understands to refer to actions stemming from jealousy.  Likewise, the command to "love one's neighbor" refers to acts of loving kindness and not the emotion of love.¹¹

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" – R. Hoffmann views this as the flip-side of the prohibition against hating.¹²  He suggests that the two commandments frame verses 17-18, and that three commands in the middle (rebuking and not seeking vengeance either immediately or after  time) all serve to prevent hatred and promote love.

Context – R. Hoffmann suggests that the verse comes on the heels of commandments regarding justice in court as a warning to judges that they must judge honestly even those whom they hate.  He compares it to the similar ordering of laws in Parashat Mishpatim which discusses judges and then the laws of returning lost objects even to one's enemy.

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ" – According to R. Hoffmann the Torah does prohibit feeling hatred towards another, only acting upon it.  Therefore, there should be no problem referring to another as "one whom you hate".¹³

Warning to Judges

The prohibition of "לֹא תִשְׂנָא" is limited to judges, and refers to them making sure that they do not hate the defendant.

Context – According to this approach, the prohibition should be viewed within the context of the earlier warnings to judges.  Just as those were unique to judges, and not relevant to the larger nation, so too this prohibition is limited to them.

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ"

• Actions stemming from emotion - This position could explain that the verse is saying that one should not let the hatred of one's heart rule one's actions in a courtroom.  Just as there is no room for pity for the poor or honor to the  wealthy in judgement, so too internal hatred should play no role. 
• Emotion – Alternatively, the verse is telling a judge that if he find's a defendant guilty of a crime, he should, nonetheless, not hate that person for his heinous actions.

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ" – According to this approach, there might not be a prohibition on the general population to hate another, and thus it is possible to refer to the "donkey of your hated one".

מצוות שבלב

"תִשְׂנָא"

¹ See below that Ramban's preferred option is that the prohibition stands in contrast to the juxtaposed command to chastise another and thus that the verse really is emphasizing not to keep one's hatred inside, but rather to express it.

² He does not say this explicitly, but his wording of "even though it does not harm at all, for he hates him in the heart, he has trangressed this prohibition" suggests that it is obvious that if one hates another overtly he has surely transgressed.

³ He does not think that the verse refers to chastising the other for a personal wrong, but rather to chastising them for general problematic behavior.

⁴ He explains the placement of the previous command, "לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ" similarly, suggesting that hating might  prevent someone from trying to save another's life.

⁵ In Tosafot HaShalem, Ibn Ezra is quoted as saying that the verse is talking about reproaching people who wrong you, but from his comments in Vayirka and on Shemot 20:1, he appears to maintain that the verse is speaking about an internal emotion.

⁶ The Torah, thus, warns against being "אחד בפה ואחד בלב".

⁷ The Yereim explains similarly, but includes any wrong that another has done, even if it was not against you but against Hashem.

⁸ Rambam agrees on this point as well.

⁹ This is how R. Hoffmann explains the verses in his comments to Vayikra.  In his comments to Shemot 23:4-5, though, he suggests that even hating only in secret is prohibited.

¹⁰ He writes that the prohibition entails, "לא לגרום לו רעה מתוך שנאה".

¹¹ He distinguishes the language of "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" from "וְאָהַבְתָּ את רֵעֲךָ", suggesting that only the latter would be a command to actually love the other, similar to the command to love Hashem "" .  The Torah, though, recognizes that loving Hashem is possible, but loving all fellow men might not be.  It thus suffices witha command that we do acts of love to another (לְרֵעֲךָ).

¹² See above that he assumes that this commandment, too, refers not to the emotion of love but to do acts of love to another.

¹³ In his comments on the verse, though, R. Hoffmann explains like Ibn Ezra above that the verse refers to someone who hates you, and not someone whom you hate.  He is led to this reading, since in contrast to his comments in Vayikra, he says there that the Torah prohibits hating another even in secret.