The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistencies are the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
This week's parsha contains one of the most famous lines in sefer Vayikra -"V'ahavta lreyacha camocha" - or as it is known in English - love thy neighbor as thyself. In discussing this passage, R'Frand mentioned the Ramban's interpretation that the line is an exaggeration. How can this be? The Ramban explains that it is not possible to love another as much as one loves himself (unless that other person is a relative such as a parent, spouse or child). Rather, the meaning of the passage is that you should want your neighbor to have things exactly like you do.
For example - if you find out that your neighbor got a new car, you are no doubt happy for your neighbor, but you may also want the car to be just a little bit less nice than your car. Or even if the car is identical, you may want your garage where the car is parked to be a little nicer than the other person's garage. The key to v'ahavta l'reyacha camocha is that you should be happy with your neighbor having exactly what you have, without your possessions being superior in any way. In this capacity you can avoid ever being jealous of your neighbor.
The gemara in Shabbos tells a story about how a gentile once came to Shammai and asked him to teach the gentile the entire Torah while Shammai stood on one foot. Shammai did not honor this request and instead tossed the man out. The gentile then came to Hillel and asked the same question - to which Hillel responded the entire Torah can be summed up with - what you dislike do not do onto others, that is the entire Torah - the rest is just commentary.
The question which can be asked on the statement of Hillel is that he has only satisfied one half of the Torah. Yes, this is the root of all the commandments dealing with one's interaction with his fellow man (bain adam l'chavero) but how can this be the entire Torah when it does not encompass the commandments between man and G-d?
R' Frand answered that this also encompasses the commandments between man and G-d. The only way that one can be happy with the possession of others and put aside jealousy is if the person accepts that G-d has given him all that he needs in this world. If I know that through divine intervention I have received what I need, why should I care (let alone be jealous) that my friend has a nicer car, or house or bank account?
In this way "love thy neighbor" is also rooted in the relationship between man and G-d, since by having true belief in G-d and knowing that He has given you exactly what you need, a person will never come to be jealous of the possessions of others and will truly be happy with his lot.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site such as JBlog, please feel free to click here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
This week's parsha contains one of the most famous lines in sefer Vayikra -"V'ahavta lreyacha camocha" - or as it is known in English - love thy neighbor as thyself. In discussing this passage, R'Frand mentioned the Ramban's interpretation that the line is an exaggeration. How can this be? The Ramban explains that it is not possible to love another as much as one loves himself (unless that other person is a relative such as a parent, spouse or child). Rather, the meaning of the passage is that you should want your neighbor to have things exactly like you do.
For example - if you find out that your neighbor got a new car, you are no doubt happy for your neighbor, but you may also want the car to be just a little bit less nice than your car. Or even if the car is identical, you may want your garage where the car is parked to be a little nicer than the other person's garage. The key to v'ahavta l'reyacha camocha is that you should be happy with your neighbor having exactly what you have, without your possessions being superior in any way. In this capacity you can avoid ever being jealous of your neighbor.
The gemara in Shabbos tells a story about how a gentile once came to Shammai and asked him to teach the gentile the entire Torah while Shammai stood on one foot. Shammai did not honor this request and instead tossed the man out. The gentile then came to Hillel and asked the same question - to which Hillel responded the entire Torah can be summed up with - what you dislike do not do onto others, that is the entire Torah - the rest is just commentary.
The question which can be asked on the statement of Hillel is that he has only satisfied one half of the Torah. Yes, this is the root of all the commandments dealing with one's interaction with his fellow man (bain adam l'chavero) but how can this be the entire Torah when it does not encompass the commandments between man and G-d?
R' Frand answered that this also encompasses the commandments between man and G-d. The only way that one can be happy with the possession of others and put aside jealousy is if the person accepts that G-d has given him all that he needs in this world. If I know that through divine intervention I have received what I need, why should I care (let alone be jealous) that my friend has a nicer car, or house or bank account?
In this way "love thy neighbor" is also rooted in the relationship between man and G-d, since by having true belief in G-d and knowing that He has given you exactly what you need, a person will never come to be jealous of the possessions of others and will truly be happy with his lot.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site such as JBlog, please feel free to click here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
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