Love Your Fellow

שוב מעשה בנכרי אחד שבא לפני שמאי א"ל גיירני ע"מ שתלמדני כל התורה כולה כשאני עומד על רגל אחת דחפו באמת הבנין שבידו בא לפני הלל גייריה אמר לו דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד זו היא כל התורה כולה ואידך פירושה הוא זיל גמור.

Shabbat 31a:6

There was an story involving a gentile who came before Shammai and said to him:

"Convert me on condition that you will teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot."

Shammai pushed him away with the rule in his hand.

The gentile came before Hillel. Hillel converted him. Hillel said to him:

"What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary. Go and learn."

רש"י על ויקרא י״ט:י״ח:ב׳

ואהבת לרעך כמוך: אמר רבי עקיבא זה כלל גדול בתורה:

Rashi on Leviticus 19:18:2

And you shall love your fellow as yourself: Rabbi Akiva said: "This is a fundamental principle in the Torah."

ויקרא י״ט:י״ח

לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

Leviticus 19:18

Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Siddur - Morning Prayer

Some recite the following line before prayer: הרני מקבל עלי מצות עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך

I hereby take upon myself the mitzvah of "love your fellow as yourself."

What is the connection between loving your fellow and praying?

משנה אבות ה׳:ט״ז

כל אהבה שהיא תלויה בדבר , בטל דבר, בטלה אהבה .ושאינה תלויה בדבר, אינה בטלה לעולם.

Mishna Avot 5:16

Any love that is dependent on something, when that thing disappears, the love will disappear A love which is not dependent on anything will never cease.

This is the type of love that we should strive to have with our friends, family, and spouses. Just as we live despite our many faults, so too we should be able to maintain and grow our relationships despite difficulties. How do we do this?

משנה אבות ב׳:ד׳

הלל אומר: ... ואל תדין את חברך עד שתגיע למקומו

Pirkei Avot 2:4

Hillel said: "... do not judge your fellow man until you have stood in his place."

How can you ever get to his place? What does that mean?

משנה אבות א׳:י״ב

הלל אומר, הוי מתלמידיו של אהרן, אוהב שלום ורודף שלום, אוהב את הבריות ומקרבן לתורה.

Mishna Avot 1:12

Hillel used to say: Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving [one's fellow] creatures and bringing them closer to the Torah.

Bringing peace between a man and his friend is one of the things that is described as bringing us a "double-reward" (both in this world and in the next) [from the morning Torah blessings].