(יח) ואהבת לרעך כמוך. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא זֶה כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה (ספרא):
(18) ואהבת לרעך כמוך THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS THYSELF —Rabbi Akiba said: “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah” (Sifra; Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:3).
Does every Mitzvah have an action? Or are some Mitzvot about the way we think and feel?
If every mitzvah has an action, what is the action for loving Hashem?
(ג) מִצְוָה עַל כָּל אָדָם לֶאֱהֹב אֶת כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט-יח) "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" . לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ לְסַפֵּר בְּשִׁבְחוֹ וְלָחוּס עַל מָמוֹנוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא חָס עַל מָמוֹן עַצְמוֹ וְרוֹצֶה בִּכְבוֹד עַצְמוֹ. וְהַמִּתְכַּבֵּד בִּקְלוֹן חֲבֵרוֹ אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:
(3) It is a commandment upon every person to love each and every Jew as himself, as it is said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18)." Therefore one needs to speak praises of one and to be as careful with his money as one is with one's own money and desires his own honor. Whoever gains honor through diminishing his colleague has no portion in the world to come.
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל דִּבְרֵיהֶם לְבַקֵּר חוֹלִים. וּלְנַחֵם אֲבֵלִים. וּלְהוֹצִיא הַמֵּת. וּלְהַכְנִיס הַכַּלָּה. וּלְלַוּוֹת הָאוֹרְחִים. וּלְהִתְעַסֵּק בְּכָל צָרְכֵי הַקְּבוּרָה. לָשֵׂאת עַל הַכָּתֵף. וְלֵילֵךְ לְפָנָיו וְלִסְפֹּד וְלַחְפֹּר וְלִקְבֹּר. וְכֵן לְשַׂמֵּחַ הַכַּלָּה וְהֶחָתָן. וּלְסַעֲדָם בְּכָל צָרְכֵיהֶם. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים שֶׁבְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל מִצְוֹת אֵלּוּ מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם הֲרֵי הֵן בִּכְלַל (ויקרא יט-יח) "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ". כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹצֶה שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם לְךָ אֲחֵרִים. עֲשֵׂה אַתָּה אוֹתָן לְאָחִיךְ בְּתוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹת:
(1) It is a positive commandment to visit the sick, comfort the mourning, to remove the dead, to bring in the bride, to escort guests, and to occupy oneself with all the needs of burial; carrying [the coffin] on one’s shoulder, to walk in front of him, to eulogize, to dig, and to bury. As well to make the bride and groom happy, and to take care of all their needs. And these are ‘Gemillut Chasadim’ that are done with one’s body, that have no measurement. Although all these are rabbinic laws they are included under "Love Your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18), meaning that all things that you would like others to do for you, you should do for your brother.
שהמרו זה את זה אמרו כל מי שילך ויקניט את הלל יטול ד' מאות זוז אמר אחד מהם אני אקניטנו אותו היום ע"ש היה והלל חפף את ראשו הלך ועבר על פתח ביתו אמר מי כאן הלל מי כאן הלל נתעטף ויצא לקראתו אמר לו בני מה אתה מבקש א"ל שאלה יש לי לשאול א"ל שאל בני שאל מפני מה ראשיהן של בבליים סגלגלות א"ל בני שאלה גדולה שאלת מפני שאין להם חיות פקחות הלך והמתין שעה אחת חזר ואמר מי כאן הלל מי כאן הלל נתעטף ויצא לקראתו אמר לו בני מה אתה מבקש א"ל שאלה יש לי לשאול א"ל שאל בני שאל מפני מה עיניהן של תרמודיין תרוטות אמר לו בני שאלה גדולה שאלת מפני שדרין בין החולות הלך והמתין שעה אחת חזר ואמר מי כאן הלל מי כאן הלל נתעטף ויצא לקראתו א"ל בני מה אתה מבקש א"ל שאלה יש לי לשאול א"ל שאל בני שאל מפני מה רגליהם של אפרקיים רחבות א"ל בני שאלה גדולה שאלת מפני שדרין בין בצעי המים אמר לו שאלות הרבה יש לי לשאול ומתירא אני שמא תכעוס נתעטף וישב לפניו א"ל כל שאלות שיש לך לשאול שאל א"ל אתה הוא הלל שקורין אותך נשיא ישראל א"ל הן א"ל אם אתה הוא לא ירבו כמותך בישראל א"ל בני מפני מה א"ל מפני שאבדתי על ידך ד' מאות זוז א"ל הוי זהיר ברוחך כדי הוא הלל שתאבד על ידו ד' מאות זוז וד' מאות זוז והלל לא יקפיד: ת"ר מעשה בנכרי אחד שבא לפני שמאי אמר לו כמה תורות יש לכם אמר לו שתים תורה שבכתב ותורה שבעל פה א"ל שבכתב אני מאמינך ושבעל פה איני מאמינך גיירני ע"מ שתלמדני תורה שבכתב גער בו והוציאו בנזיפה בא לפני הלל גייריה יומא קמא א"ל א"ב ג"ד למחר אפיך ליה א"ל והא אתמול לא אמרת לי הכי א"ל לאו עלי דידי קא סמכת דעל פה נמי סמוך עלי: 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.
Who bet with each other and said, "Anyone who can go and make Hillel annoyed, he may take four hundred zuzim." One of them said, "I shall annoy him." That very day was the eve of the Sabbath, and Hillel was bathing his head. He went and passed by the opening of his home and said, "Is Hillel here? Is Hillel here?" He wrapped himself [in a towel] and exited to meet him. He said to him, "My son, what is your request?" He said to him, "I have a question to ask." He said to him, "Ask, my son, ask." [He asked,] "What is the reason that the Babylonians heads are wide?" He said to him, "My son, you are asking a great question. It is because they do not have intelligent midwives [and so the heads do not come out correctly]." He went and waited an hour. He came back and said, "Is Hillel here? Is Hillel here?" He wrapped himself [in a towel] and went out to greet him. He said to him, "My son, what is your request?" He said to him, "I have a question to ask." He said to him, "Ask, my son, ask." [He asked,] "What is the reason that the Ethiopians' eyes are bleary?" He said to him, "My son, a big question you have asked. It is because the live surrounded by sand [which reflects sun into their eyes]." He went and waited an hour. He returned and said, "Is Hillel here? Is Hillel here?" He wrapped himself [in a towel] and went out to meet him. He said to him, "My son, what is your request?" He said to him, "I have a question to ask." He said to him, "Ask, my son, ask." [He asked,] "What is the reason that the Africans have wide feet?" He said to him, "My son, a big question you have asked. It is because the live between the bays." He said to him, "I have many questions to ask, but I will forgo them, so that you may not get mad." He wrapped himself up and sat before him. He said to him, "All the questions that you have to ask, ask." He said to him, "Are you the Hillel that they call the prince of Israel?" He said to him, "Yes." He said to him, "If you are him, then I wish that there will not be many in Israel like you!" He said to him, "My son, for what reason?" He said to him, "For because of you, I lost four-hundred zuz!" He said to him, "Be careful with your spirit like Hillel, whom you lost because of him four-hundred zuz, because even for four-hundred zuz, Hillel will not get angry." It was taught in a baraita that a non-Jew came before Shammai and asked him, "How many Torahs do you have?" Shammai responded, "Two, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah." The non-Jew said, "I believe in the Written Torah, but not in the Oral Torah. Convert me and teach me only the Written Torah." Shammai berated the non-Jew and chased him out The non-Jew came before Hillel and Hillel converted him. One day Hillel taught him the alef-bet, and the next day he switched the names of the letters. He said to Hillel, "Didn't you teach me the opposite yesterday?" Hillel responded, "Just as you trust me in the instruction of letters, so to you must trust me in the instruction of the oral Torah." Another time a non-Jew came before Shammai and said, "I will convert if you can teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot." Shammai pushed the non-Jews aside with the ruler that was in his hand. The non-Jew came before Hillel and Hillel converted him saying, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor, that is the entire Torah, the rest is just commentary, now go and study."
On which parts of Hillel's statement do you think Shamai disagrees?
"do not do to your neighbor, that is the entire Torah, the rest is just commentary, now go and study."
How is this the entire Torah even for Mitzvot bein Adam lamokom (between man and Hashem)??
Granted that it is the essence of all mitzvot governing our behavior “between man and man”; but the Torah also includes many mitzvot that are in the realm of “between man and G-d.”
In what way is the mitzvah to “Love your fellow as yourself” the essence of mitzvot such as praying, or ceasing work on Shabbat?
The explanation can be found in the answer to another question:
How is it possible to love another “as yourself”? Are not self and fellow two distinct entities, so that however closely they may be bound, the other will always be other, and never wholly as the self?
As physical beings, one’s self and one’s fellow are indeed two distinct entities. As spiritual beings, however, they are ultimately one, for all souls are of a single essence, united in their source in G-d.
As long as one regards the physical self as the true “I” and the soul as something this I “has”, one will never truly love the other “as oneself.” But if the soul is the “I” and the body but its tool and extension, one can come to recognize that “self” and “fellow” are but two expressions of a singular essence, so that all that one desires for oneself, one equally desires for one’s fellow. Otherwise stated, the endeavor to love one’s fellow as oneself is the endeavor to cultivate one’s own spiritual identity; to see the soul and spirit as the true and ultimate reality, and the body and the material as extraneous and subservient to it. This is the entire Torah.
(Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi)