Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Actions: Doing for the Other

Loving another as one's self entails treating the other as we would want to be treated.

Sources:Hillel in Bavli ShabbatShabbat 31aAbout the Bavli,¹ R. Yosef Bekhor ShorVayikra 19:18About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambamHilkhot Deiot 6:3-4Hilkhot Eivel 14:1About R. Moshe b. Maimon,² Sefer HaChinukh243About Sefer HaChinukh, RalbagVayikra 19:18About R. Levi b. Gershom, HaKetav VeHaKabbalahVayikra 19:18About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, R. D"Z HoffmannVayikra 19:18About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

"ואהבת את רעך" vs. "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ" – R. D"Z Hoffmann asserts that the unique formulation "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ" teaches that the law revolves around actions rather than emotions, as the love discussed is something you do "to" the other.

Can you command an emotion? The idea that one cannot, at will, simply feel the emotion of love for any stranger (and definitely not a degree of love which is equal to love felt for one's self)³ is one of the motivations for this approach.⁴ R. D"Z Hoffmann notes that though one cannot be expected to love any fellow, one can be commanded to do acts of loving kindness to anyone, and thus this is the essence of the command.

"כָּמוֹךָ" – Who comes first? According to this position the word "כמוך" teaches only that you should treat another as you would want to be treated.⁵ Commentators debate whether the command obligates one to do for the other even if doing so conflicts with one's own self interest:

• Ralbag asserts that one must always prioritize one's self.  Thus, for example, no one is expected to help another in his work at the expense of his own.⁶
• Shadal questions such an outlook, noting that any act done for the other will conflict with doing for the self.  Giving from your money or time to another, of necessity means lacking it for yourself. The Torah teaches, that even so, one must do for the other.⁷

Context – The immediate context of our command is the prohibition against taking revenge and bearing a grudge.  This approach might suggest that the two are juxtaposed because they are in essence flip-sides of the same idea.⁸ Taking revenge entails harming another as they harmed you.  Torah teaches not to do that, but to instead treat the other as you wish he'd treat you.

What actions are included

• These commentators point to a wide range of deeds which are included in the mitzvah, from acts of kindness such as visiting the sick, inviting guests, comforting mourners (Rambam) to simple courtesy such as greeting one another with a pleasant demeanor, giving one the benefit of the doubt, or acting respectfully (HaKetav VeHaKabbalah).
• Hillel in Bavli Shabbat formulates the rule in the negative, "do not do to the other what you would not want them to do to you" and Sefer HaChinkuh notes, that as such, it also includes many prohibitions mentioned elsewhere in Torah such as: do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not physically or verbally damage another and the like.

"לְרֵעֲךָ" – who is included? These commentators differ regarding who is included in the word "רעך":

• All – R. D"Z Hoffmann suggests that the command applies to all, as per the simple understanding of the word "רע" which is used to refer to any fellow.
• Fellow Israelites – Sefer HaChinukh limits the law to fellow Israelites.⁹  This might be supported by the context , as the surrounding mitzvot relate to "אָחִיךָ" and "בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ", terms which focus on the nation of Israel.
• God fearing people – R"Y Bekhor Shor learns from the word "כמוך" that one is only obligated to love another who is "like you in fear of God".¹⁰

Similar mitzvot – According to these commentators the various laws involving "love" are not all fulfilled in the same manner.  Some are action oriented, while others involve emotions.¹¹  According to R. D"Z Hoffmann the distinction relates to whether the commanded is formulated as "ואהבת את" or "ואהבת ל"‎.¹²

Emotion: Generosity of Spirit

The verse commands that we should want for the other what we would want for ourselves.

Sources:Ibn EzraVayikra 19:18About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RambanVayikra 19:18About R. Moshe b. Nachman

"ואהבת את רעך" vs. "אָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ" – Ibn Ezra suggests that the unique formulation "לְרֵעֲךָ" implies that the command obligates that one should love the good that belongs (ל) to another fellow, rather than obligating one to love the fellow himself.¹³

Can you command an emotion? According to these commentators, despite the fact that verse does not speak of feeling love, it nonetheless still mandates control over one's emotions. Ramban suggests that our verse is, in effect, the positive formulation of the prohibition against jealousy.  It mandates that instead of feeling jealous, one be happy for the other and for the things he has.

"כָּמוֹךָ" – who comes first? Ramban suggests that when the Torah uses the formulation "כָּמוֹךָ", this is simply an exaggeration. Hashem does not really expect one to love the other as he loves himself.  Rather, Torah is more simply teaching that one should want for the other what he wants for himself, and not wish that only certain goods befall his neighbor.

Context – Ibn Ezra notes that the verse's conclusion "אֲנִי י״י" provides the reason behind the obligation: "I, one God, created all of you", and as such, one should never think he deserves more than his neighbor.  After all, everything ultimately belongs to God and all were created equally by Him.

"לְרֵעֲךָ" – who is included? Neither Ibn Ezra nor Ramban address this question.

Yonatan as a model to emulate – Ramban points to Yonatan's love for David as a model for proper fulfillment of the mitzvah .  Yonatan held no jealousy for David and was happy for David to be king over Israel.

Emotions and Actions

The law demands that one should both feel love for one's neighbor and express that love through actions.¹⁴

Sources:perhaps RambamPositive Commandments 206About Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot,¹⁵ Moses MendelssohnVayikra 19:18About Moses Mendelssohn

Can you command an emotion? M. Mendelssohn notes that Hashem does expect one to control internal feelings, as seen by the fact that several other laws as well obligate emotions (including the emotion of love).  For example, we are commanded to love Hashem, love the foreigner, not to be jealous, not to bear a grudge and the like.

"ואהבת  את רעך" vs. "אָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ" – This position does not differentiate between the two formulations, and might suggest, as an opinion brought by Ibn EzraVayikra 19:18About R. Avraham ibn Ezra does, that the "ל" is simply superfluous or takes the place of the word "את".‎¹⁶

"כָּמוֹךָ" – This approach can explain the import of this word in several ways:

• Equate love of other and self – Though Rambam is not explicit, he appears to take the verse at face value, and implies that one must indeed love the other just as one loves one self.
• Equating quality, not quantity  – M. Mendelssohn, in contrast, suggests that the verse intends to equate the "quality" but not the "quantity" of love.  Thus, one is obligated to love another the in the way that one loves one's self (as opposed to the way one might love a material object, for instance), but not to the same degree. In cases of conflict between loving another and loving one' self, one may put one's self first.
• Reasoning behind the command – This position could have also suggested, as does R. N"H WesselyVayikra 19:18About R. Naftali Herz Wessely that the word "כָּמוֹךָ" says nothing about how one fulfills the obligation, but instead provides the reasoning behind it. You must love the other because he is a human, created in God's image, just like you.¹⁷

Context – This approach sees verses 17-18 as a pair, with the positive command to love one's neighbor being the inverse of the prohibition against hating the other.

¹ Though R. Akiva does not explicitly mention the command of "ואבהת לרעך כמוך", his words have been understood by many commentators to refer to it.

² This is how the he describes the fulfillment of the law in his  Mishneh Torah. In his Sefer HaMItzvot, he is a bit more ambiguous and might imply that it also entails feeling an emotion.

³ See R"Y Bekhor who who makes this point.

⁴ It should be noted, however, that most of these commentators do not think that emotions as a whole are not subject to command, and elsewhere do in fact think that Torah commands feelings. It is only the expectation to love a stranger or to love another as one loves one's self that they find unreasonable.

⁵ According to these commentators, as the command does not entail emotionally loving another, it says nothing of the degree of love you must feel for another, for Torah does not expect an individual to love another as he loves himself.

⁶ He writes, "אלא שהמצוה בזה היא באופן שלא יגיע בה נזק לאוהב מפני זאת האהבה; וזה, שלא יחוייב לאדם להניח מלאכתו מפני מלאכת חבירו, כי אהבת עצמו קודמת לאהבת זולתו."

⁷ HaKetav VeHaKabbalah offers a middle position, suggesting that an individual need only do for the other what he would expect the other to do for him. Thus, though one might give a present to another even though it is at cost to one's self, one need not give all one's property or an exorbitant sum as he would never expect the other to do the same for him.

⁸ Though many would naturally suggest that the prohibition against "hating your brother" is the inverse of "loving another" the structure of the verses might argue against such a reading.  "Do not hate another in your heart" is not juxtaposed with the command to love, but rather with the command to "rebuke the other", suggesting that love and hate are not a pair but rebuke and internalized hate are. Torah is emphasizing that one should not keep negative feelings inside, but rather share them with the other.

⁹ He refers to the mitzvah as "מצות אהבת ישראל", describing it as mandating "לאהב כל אחד מישראל אהבת נפש".

¹⁰ Cf. RashbamVayikra 19:18About R. Shemuel b. Meir who suggests the same idea but learns the idea from the word "רעך" itself; you must love only someone who is your "רע", not one who is wicked.

¹¹ See Rambam, Sefer HaChinukh, Ralbag, and R. D"Z Hoffmann that the command to "love Hashem" involves emotions. Perhaps counterintuitively, R. D"Z Hoffmann asserts that loving Hashem is much easier than loving one's fellow man. He states that anyone is capable of doing so for "all you need is to know Him". [For elaboration, see Ahavat Hashem.]

¹² The other sources might more simply suggest that the word is multivalent, and at times can refer to a emotion and at others to the expression of that emotion through actions.

¹³ He might say that the verse reads as if written "וְאָהַבְתָּ אשר לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ".

¹⁴ Our analysis focuses on the emotional aspect as that is where this position is unique.

¹⁵ See above that in his Mishneh Torah, Rambam describes the mitzvah as action oriented. In his Sefer HaMitzvot, though, he a bit more ambiguous and might impy that there is an emotional component to the command as well, writing: "היא שצונו לאהוב קצתנו את קצתנו כאשר נאהב עצמנו ושתהיה אהבתו וחמלתו לאחיו כאהבתו וחמלתו לעצמו..."

¹⁶ It can be compared to the phrase "הרגו לאבנר" in Shemuel II 3:30, which is equivalent in meaning to "והרגו את אבנר".

¹⁷ He asserts that it is an unreasonable expectation that one should really be able to love another equally, suggesting that Yonatan's love for David was thus exceptional, and above and beyond what is expected.  The verse, thus, describes him not as one who "loved his neighbor as himself" but rather writes, "וַיֶּאֱהָבֵהוּ יְהוֹנָתָן כְּנַפְשׁוֹ", a much higher level.  That is why David describes it as "wondrous".