Hatred of the Heart/2

Hatred of the Heart

Exegetical Approaches

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Prohibition to Hate in All Cases

Overt and Covert Hating

Sources:Perhaps Ibn EzraVayikra 19:17About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,¹ perhaps RalbagVayikra 19:17About R. Levi b. Gershom, Ramban #1Vayikra 19:17About R. Moshe b. Nachman

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ" – This approach can hold that דיבר הכתוב בהווה that even though one is not allowed to hate, the Torah knows that people are going to hate others anyway.

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ"

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ" – Ramban says that even thought the verse only says "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" it is referring also to overt hating.  The verse just uses the word "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" since that is usually how one hates.

מצוות שבלב

Context

"אָחִיךָ"

"תִשְׂנָא"

Hating Only in One's Heart

Sources:Sifra Vayikra19:16-17About the Sifra Vayikra, Bavli ArakhinArakhin 16bAbout the Bavli, Perhaps Ibn EzraVayikra 19:17About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,² RambamSefer HaMitzvot 302Hilchot Deiot 6:5About R. Moshe b. Maimon, perhaps RalbagVayikra 19:17About R. Levi b. Gershom

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ"

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ"

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ"

מצוות שבלב

Context

"אָחִיךָ"

"תִשְׂנָא"

Prohibition to Hate Under Certain Circumstances

"לֹא תִשְׂנָא" is only a prohibition for judges not to hate the defendant.

Sources:R. Yosef ibn KaspiVayikra 19:17About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ" – R. Yosef ibn Kaspi holds that one is allowed to hate in general and so "שֹׂנַאֲךָ" is your enemy.

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" – This approach holds that the mitzvah of "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" is not connected to our prohibition.

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ"

מצוות שבלב

Context

"אָחִיךָ"

"תִשְׂנָא"

A Different Prohibition

Sources:Targum Pseudo-JonathanVayikra 19:17About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, RashbamVayikra 19:17About R. Shemuel b. Meir, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorVayikra 19:17About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Yereim 195Yereim 195, Ramban #2Vayikra 19:17About R. Moshe b. Nachman

What prohibition? These commentators disagree what the prohibition in the verse is:

• אחד בפה אחד בלב - Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and Rashbam explain that the verse is talking about someone who hates another in their heart but pretends to the outside that he likes him.
• תוכחה - Rashbam, R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Yereim and Ramban say that our verse is talking about one mitzvah.  If someone does something to you, one shouldn't hate him rather one should reproach him.

"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ" – These commentators will hold that "שֹׂנַאֲךָ" is your enemy whom you either show your hatred towards him or that you have reproached him already.

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" – This approach understands "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" as a separate mitzvah which is unrelated to our prohibition.

"בִּלְבָבֶךָ"

מצוות שבלב – According to these commentators, our verse is not talking about a mitzvah that one does in one's heart.

Context

"אָחִיךָ"

"תִשְׂנָא"

¹ In Tosafot HaShalem, Ibn Ezra is quoted as saying that the verse is talking about reproaching people who wrong you.

² In Tosafot HaShalem, Ibn Ezra is quoted as saying that the verse is talking about reproaching people who wrong you.