by Yehuda HaKohen. Art by Phillip Ratner “You shall not be a gossip monger among your people, you shall not stand aside while your fellow’s blood is being shed – I am HaShem. You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall reprove your fellow and not bear a sin because of him. You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the children of your people; you shall love your fellow as yourself – I am HaShem.” (VAYIKRA 19:16-18)
At first glance the Torah appears to be teaching a series of precepts designed to improve our character traits and perfect Israeli society. But by listing these commandments in such detail, however, it is clear that we are meant to glean a lesson of great significance. In verse 18, we are commanded to love our fellow as we love ourselves. While this may sound very pleasant in theory, some might argue the impossibility of such a decree. In today’s prevalent culture – where the individual’s wants and needs are given primary importance – it seems doubtful that modern man could really be expected to love another as he loves himself. Perhaps one could attempt to treat his fellow as if he loves him to that extent but to actually feel this love in one’s heart seems as though the Torah is demanding not only a behavioral adjustment but also a complete revolution in human nature. The commandment is followed by the statement “I am HaShem” – a declaration found throughout the Torah which often serves to emphasize the great importance of a particular mitzvah. In addition to reminding us that HaShem is all powerful and aware of a person’s true inner thoughts, the statement “I am HaShem” is akin to G-D signing a contract. Laws carrying great consequence often include this Divine signature in order to guarantee that HaShem will treat a person according to his behavior, especially involving the fulfillment of these precepts.
By utilizing the statement “I am HaShem” following these particular laws, the Torah prompts the question of how such incredible weight can be placed on mitzvot that appear so alien to human behavior. Rather than merely dictating conduct, these commandments should be viewed as a direct challenge to our very nature. By understanding that we are not slaves to our dispositions, we can identify these particular mitzvot as just a few of the many liberating precepts intended to alter and enrich our overall perspectives.
The Jerusalem Talmud (ninth chapter of Nedarim) offers an interesting explanation concerning the prohibition against vengeance. It describes a man slicing meat with a knife. As he is cutting, the hand holding the knife slips and injures his other hand. The Talmud then asks if the wounded hand would rise up to take vengeance against the hand that cut it. This rhetorical question comes to teach that just as each hand is a piece of one whole body, so is each individual Jew one piece of Clal Yisrael. Therefore, one Hebrew taking revenge against his brother is no less absurd than a person’s left hand rising up against the right. The Israeli Nation is not the sum total of every Jew but rather one colossal spirit that manifests itself in our world through millions of bodies. While human beings each possess a personal soul, the Nation of Israel shares one massive national soul – like the bark of a tree that each Jew is a branch of.
Chief Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook teaches that the highest level of Ahavat Yisrael (love for Israel) a person can achieve results from obtaining the belief, knowledge and deep understanding of Israel’s true inner essence. It involves more than merely loving individual Jews because they may be smarter, stronger or more pleasant than some gentiles. This may not always be true and is certainly not what makes Israel unique. The Segula of Israel is the national essence that precedes the individuals. It is the inner Divine light planted within the Israeli soul and revealed in human history through the Jewish people. Rather than attempt to love each and every individual Jew, one can learn to recognize and love the source of Israel’s essence – the Segula – which then allows this love to flow out to every individual piece of that national collective.
A man who loves his son does not simply love the sum total of each limb. He loves his child as a whole person and therefore loves every individual piece of that person. He can see each finger, leg and ear as an expression of that one soul that he knows to be his son. Like the son, the Nation of Israel has one giant spiritual essence revealed through individual Jews scattered in space and time. Therefore, the highest level of Ahavat Yisrael is a deep Torah wisdom that must be studied and not merely emotionally felt. The base of this wisdom stems from learning about, understanding and recognizing the Segula in order to comprehend Israel’s true inner oneness.
The Torah does not merely instruct us to love each Jew as much as we love ourselves. It actually informs us that each Jew is inseparably connected because Israel is essentially one Divine entity. Despite the Hebrew soul appearing divided in our world, Israelis have the ability to recognize the objective reality of our inner unity – a unity that transcends far beyond the confines of space and time. Once this unity is properly appreciated, it becomes impossible for us not to fulfill these commandments. Once a person obtains this lofty understanding, he becomes able to feel and express the required love for each individual. And he automatically becomes incapable of spreading evil gossip about or holding grudges against his brothers. He becomes incapable of taking vengeance against a fellow Jew and becomes unable to passively stand by as blood is shed.
When Israel is finally able to understand our inner oneness, we will be empowered by true love and a sense of collective responsibility. A mature understanding of this lofty ideal enables the highest levels of Ahavat Yisrael and allows the Jewish people to reach our collective potential and national goal of bringing this world to perfection.
With Love of Israel,
-Yehuda HaKohen
Am Segula
