Hatred of the Heart/2
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Hatred of the Heart
Exegetical Approaches
Prohibition to Hate in All Cases
Overt and Covert Hating
"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
"כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ"
"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ"
"בִּלְבָבֶךָ" – These commentators say, as it seems from the simple reading of the verse, that "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" means only in one's heart.
Overt hating – The Rambam holds that although our verse is not talking about overt hating, there is a prohibition of overt hating from "לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר".
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 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
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" – This verse is not a problem for this position since they hold that there is no prohibition to hate someone.
"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" – This approach understands "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" as a separate mitzvah which is unrelated to our prohibition.
"בִּלְבָבֶךָ" – These commentators hold, like the simple understanding of the verse, that "בִּלְבָבֶךָ" means in one's heart.
מצוות שבלב – According to these commentators, our verse is not talking about a mitzvah that one does in one's heart.
Context
"אָחִיךָ"
"תִשְׂנָא"
