They asked Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the first rebbe of Chabad:
“Which is greater: love of G‑d,
or love of your fellow Jew?”
“Love of your fellow Jew,” he replied.
“For then you love that which your Beloved loves.”
From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.
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Avishai
Barbourville, KY
July 16, 2025
Shhh...G-d is growing, you and every other person every Soul He IS. Reply
Linda
USA
July 16, 2025
This one is pretty simple It's easier to love G-D, Who is somewhat unknowable, than to love your neighbor, who is more knowable like you. Projection should be considered too. Reply
S
UK
July 16, 2025
B"H
The quotes states 'the love for your fellow human being'. Rabbi Zalman ( may his memory be for a blessing) was asked regarding 'love of a fellow Jew'. A fellow is someone like minded, sharing the same goals and or, interests.
We may still love another human, be they Jewish, or not, yet need to keep a distance due to their behaviour, actions or associations. These.people are not our fellows.
Reply
Feigue Cieplinski
Middletown
August 1, 2024
Rabbi Freeman: I hope you are there to respond. Love and respect are two aspects that are tied to relationships. I respect all human beings and therefore i am against the death penalty- except Eichmann. Respect is the first start of any relationship and, sadly, love is only for those who show being a mensch. The actions of people tell me if they deserve my love. I have found many people wanting. Unconditional respect and love is something more precious that not everyone deserves- even when that would make the world better. Reply
Avishai
Barbourville, KY
July 31, 2024
After one realizes that there is only one, the real, Self, who turns out to be G-D all that changes.
Remember that He was talking to Adam the whole time, then Eve too, and was actually speaking to him/them from within as the Self. Our problem has been that we identify with our bodies, and therefore cannot perceive the real Self. We think of ourselves as what the brain in our bodies, the thinker/mind pictures.
So, if we think of ourselves, or others we are thinking of “I” as a fictional person, and fictional people, none of whom is the actuality, so is our love based on our imagination. But to love our True Self is to love the Beloved Self everywhere.
Reply
Ted Lopatin
July 24, 2020
"Your fellow human being" includes a lot of different people. What about Nazis, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, serial killers, people who rape and traffic little children, etc? Am I supposed to love those individuals? I will be the first to admit that I do not love them. I hate them, and if it were in my power to kill all of them I would gladly do so. I get the idea of "Love your neighbor." "Even if the guy who lives next door to you is a nut and drives you crazy, realize that he's still human, and you're not perfect either, etc." But I do not understand when this "love" is extended to people who truly deserve to be hated and destroyed. The Nazis were not defeated with love. The concentration camps were not liberated with love. They were liberated with violence and a righteous hatred of the perpetrators. Reply
Anonymous
July 26, 2020
in response to Ted Lopatin:
I share you in that point: Unconditional love applies only to them, they are your fellows, your neighbors, your family members, your loved ones, you know them with your heart and soul, even they are sometimes strange to you and inunderstandible and sometimes out of reach, to stay in contact. And I mostly despise them, they need to use the history of my family, to block them in their real future. But thank's Heaven, for that G'd gaves us our rational mind, to make seen this abuse. Reply
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman
July 26, 2020
in response to Ted Lopatin:
Yes, there are those human beings who are busy destroying the divine image within themselves and within others. They've lost their sense of humanity. Reply
David Harold Chester
Petach Tikva, Israel
December 13, 2022
in response to Anonymous :
Unconditional love is a female artibute which a woman applies to her child. The males in our community mosty love in a way that is more akin to how G-d is loving us, on condition that we behave and do the correct things and do not oppose commandments or direct instructions.
In practice, our family male love has motherly atributes too as does the female love contain limited masculine conditions, so it a bit mixed up when one broardly considers the whole human condition.
The other point Ted about the so-called "Golden Rule" is that Hillel the Elder added to the :"Love your neighbour" instruction when he was asked for an explanation standing on one leg whilst summarizing the Torah."Dont offend your neighbour in any way that would be offensive were it done to you--that is the whole Torah, now go and study (it)" was his reply.
Reply
Denise Corales
October 27, 2023
in response to David Harold Chester:
Loving unconditionally involves the ability to see and understand that others have no actual point of refrence for their actions because they dont have Torah. They have no idea what is good , right or proper. Due to their lack they are unable to live appropriately. You love them because they are fallen and dont know better. They have no point of refrence and are literally doing as they see fit. They are not aware of the spiritual/mental prisoners they are.
Loving unconditionally is not a female attribute or HaShem wouldnt ask it from ALL HUMANS, man or woman.
We need to get out of our own way in order to let HaShem take lead.
Reply
Linda
USA
July 16, 2025
in response to David Harold Chester:
David, The problem with "Don't offend your neighbor in any way that would be offensive were done to you", is what may offend me, does not offend the other person, or visa versa. Not offending someone has always been my chief concern but it a thin line to walk. Reply
Silvana Zehnpfennig
Bochum
July 24, 2020
That is a really good point: You love what your beloved loves. In this aspect you always have G'd with you, what ever you do and care for. Thank you for this impression. Reply
Brenda
Toronto, Canada
July 13, 2013
Meetup with the Creator - Through Love of Friends
The Creator will meetup with you on one condition - you have to leave your ego behind!
Through connecting our aspirations to meet the Creator, we join in love of friends with one heart and mind above the ego level of our nature. If we succeed we feel the higher spiritual dimension of the Creator - depending on the level we reach, we will reveal the Creaor's love for that level.
This is what the Kabbalists experienced: through love of friends we rise to sense the love of the Creator amongst us.
Reply
Yehonason
July 12, 2013
love of man god is perfect, to love him is easy. Now go and love your fellow man and this is where you can achieve great things in Gods name. Go what are you waiting for. Reply
Craig Hamilton
Sandwich, MA
July 12, 2013
I Agree With The Rabbi's Wisdom Love of Gd can only be understood through the image of Gd, the Tree of Life, which is far more advanced in difficulty than loving a neighbor. When we love our neighbor it is easier to see other commands, and that makes this command more imperative because our neighbours are more similar to us, and thus it is easier to see through empathy, "That which is to yourself do not do to you neighbor." With Gd I would think one should find it much harder to figure out what Gd is like through observing nature. Some of humanities greatest minds, like Hawking, and Dawkins have been unable to see a morality asociable any kind of Gd through mere observance of the nature of Gd, and yet this wisdom is available as Tanach in bookstores practically everywhere. Reply
Jason Israel
Pakistan
July 12, 2013
Amen..Rabbi Schneur Zalman i believe that he God choosen people.. Reply
Rosina
Panama
July 12, 2013
First is First!! With much humble respect, I must Disagree with Rabbi Schneur Zalman, There are some Fellow men, whom G-D may not particularly be loving, for whatever reason that only G-D knows, if I am showing Love for that Fellow man... I run the risk of been a Man-Pleaser, I am not Loving G-D then...No I rather Love G-D..then love Myself so I can Truly Love Others...For the Command is to Love My Neighbor As Myself..But First and foremost, is to Love G-D with all my might, above even myself, that means above any other! Reply
Maisie
Torrox Costa, Spain
July 12, 2013
Which is Greater In Deuteronomy 6, verses 4 - 6 (The Shema) we are commanded "You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources." It is not until Deuteronomy 10, verse 19 that it is mentioned loving anyone but Hashem. Reply
MICHELE MARTIN
Monsey, NY
August 8, 2011
Which is greater? - Chabad Posted 2/14/11
Answer = Love of G-d.
We love because He first loved us.
Our humaness loves self.
Loving G-d first enables us to love our fellow man.
G-d gives us the Grace to do so.
Reply
Michelle
Largo, FL.
February 14, 2011
Which is greater With respect I disagree...I am a "Beloved"....however without my love of G-D being the most important I can be nothing that is truthful to what love truly is......G-D is love and if we do not have love of G-D first we really don't know love...though we profess too.. Reply
Lois
Moss Beach, CA
February 14, 2011
Which is Greater Very clear and very powerful, and somehow comforting.... felt like a relief, simple....although not easy. There is a feeling of 'the way home' about this. Thank you. Reply
mark alcock
Durban , za
February 14, 2011
love of G-d is supreme. The greatest love & Commandment of all is to Love G-d. Once we know how to love G-d; then and only then can we love self and beloveds. G-d is pure -holy love and we follow His examples on how to love in Bible & Torah. Indeed these 2 love commandments are summarised on the 2 tablets G-d gave to Moses, which concern the 10 Love commandments, which are juxtaposed with G-d first -- then man . First table is about how man lmust love and adore G-d. The 2'nd tablet describes how man must love & behave towards his beloved fellow man. I believe Rabbi Zalman was being obscure, philosophical & maybe irrational, too. Reply
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. You really make us think. Thank you. And you are a perfect example of loving your fellow man like yourself. A hidden Tzaddik. Only a Tzaddik can fully love G-d. A regular person like myself has a fear of G-d and love of G-d whereas a Tzaddik is in awe of G-d. It is quite different. It is like the song that King Solomon wrote about his love affair with G-d, Shir HaShirim" that we read before Shabbos. Schneur Zalman Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, the first Rebbe of Chabad, is saying that it is greater to love your fellow man because then you love what your beloved loves meaning that we should try to love our fellow jew and make it a priority in our life so we can do what G-d put us here to do. If we follow everything that G-d wants us to follow then loving our fellow man becomes much easier and during these three weeks leading to the ninth of Av, the fast day, giving Tzadaka is one super way. Either directly in someone's hands or giving anonymously will help build the love.