How to Hate Hatred

There was another incident involving one gentile who came before Shammai and said to Shammai: Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot. Shammai pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand. This was a common measuring stick and Shammai was a builder by trade. The same gentile came before Hillel. He converted him and said to him: That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study.

(1) To not hate brothers: To not hate with hatred of the heart any Israelite, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:17), "You shall not hate your brother in your heart." And the language of Sifra Kedoshim, Chapter 4:8 is "I have only said hatred that is in the heart." And likewise in Arakhin 16b, "The verse is speaking about hatred in the heart." But when he shows him hatred, and [the other] knows that he is his enemy, he does not violate this negative commandment. However he does violate "You shall not take vengeance and not bear a grudge." And he likewise violates a positive commandment, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:18), "and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." And nonetheless hatred of the heart is worse than all revealed hatred, and [so] the Torah especially warns about it.

(2) The root of the commandment is well-known - as hatred of the heart causes great evils among people, being a constant 'sword between a man and his brother' and a man and his neighbor. And it is a cause for all of the informing that is done among people, and it is a lowly and completely disgusting trait among all people of intellect.

(3) The details of the commandment and the many warnings that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, warned us about it - not to accustom ourselves to this evil - are elucidated in the Talmud in scattered [places] and in the Midrash.

(4) And it is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses it and fixes hatred in his heart towards any proper Israelite has violated this negative commandment. But we do not administer lashes for it, as there is no act [involved] with it. But there is no prohibition in the hatred of the evildoers, but rather [it is] a commandment to hate them, after we rebuke them about their sin many times and they do not want to return, as it is stated (Psalms 139:21), "Do I not, Lord, hate Your enemies, and argue with those that come against You."

(6) If one man commit a sin against another man, the one sinned against shall not remain in silent hate against the sinner, as it is said of the wicked: "And Absalom spoke unto Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon" (Second Samuel. 13.22); but, on the contrary, it is obligatory upon him to make known to him and say unto him: "Why have you done to me thus and such, and wherefore have you sinned against me in that particular matter?"; for, it is said: "And thou shalt indeed rebuke thy neighbor" (Lev. 19.17). And, if the sinner did repent and begged to be forgiven by him, he must forgive him; and in doing so he should not be cruel, for it is said: "And Abraham prayed unto God" (Gen. 20.17).⁶For Abimelech, who sinned against him. G.

(1) כי תראה חמור שנאך וגו׳ IF THOU SEE THE ASS OF HIM THAT HATETH THEE etc. — כי here has the meaning of “possibly”, “perhaps”, which is one of the four meanings which the word כי serves to express. The sense of the verse is accordingly the following: Can you possibly see his donkey crouching beneath his burden and forbear to help him? (The Hebrew word בתמיה in Rashi means “Say this in the intonation of a question”, and is nothing more than our question mark).

...My son, do not think to pounce upon my words and say, "Why would God, may He be blessed, command us to do all of these commandments to commemorate that miracle; would we not remember it with one commemoration, [such that] it not be forgotten from the mouth of our offspring?" You must know that it is not from wisdom that you would [question] me about this, and it is your youthful thoughts that lead you to this. And now, my son, 'If you have understanding,' 'incline your ear and hear,' and I will teach you to benefit from Torah and the commandments: You must know, that a man is acted upon according to his actions; and his heart and all his thoughts always follow after the actions that he does - whether good or bad. And even he who in his heart is a complete sinner and all the desires of his heart are only for evil; if his spirit shall be enlightened and he will put his efforts and actions to persist in Torah and commandments - even if not for the sake of Heaven - he shall immediately incline towards the good. And from that which is not for its own sake comes that which is for its own sake [as opposed to being for personal gain]; for the hearts are drawn after the actions. And even if a man is perfectly righteous and his heart is straight and innocent, desiring of Torah and the commandments; if he shall constantly deal with improper things, you could compare it to someone who was forced by the king to work a wicked craft - if he constantly works in that wicked craft - eventually, from his righteousness, he shall have become completely evil. For it is known and true that every man is acted upon according to his actions, as we have said.

(7) ...Rabbi Akiva said: This is a great principle of the Torah: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev. 19:18). Thus, one should not say, “Since I am scorned, I should scorn my fellow as well; since I have been cursed, I will curse my fellow as well.” Rabbi Tanchumah said, if you act thus, realize who it is that you are willing to have humiliated - "the one who was made in the likeness of God." Rabbi Tanchuma says, “If you do so, you should know who are you scorning — ‘in the likeness of God He created him.’”