Issur Sinas Yisrael, Mitzvas Ahavas Yisrael

Sefer HaChinuch, (Parshas Kedoshim, Mitzvah 238): Not to hate one’s fellow man, as it is written (Vayikra 19:17): “Do not hate your brother in your heart.”

(Mitzvah 243): To love every Jewish person, as it is written (Vayikra 19:18): “Love your fellow as yourself.”

The importance of this mitzvah is reflected in the renowned statement of Hillel the Elder to the prospective convert (Shabbos 31a): “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man; this is the entire Torah, the remainder is commentary.”

In truth, this statement requires clarification.

The fundamental prominence of the mitzvah of loving one’s fellow Jew can be understood with regard to the mitzvos that apply between one person and another. But what about the mitzvos between man and G‑d?

This point is particularly applicable since, with regard to Him, it is written (Iyov 35:7): “If you act righteously, what have you given Him?”

Also, it is well known1 that it is proper to say before the morning prayer: “I hereby accept upon myself the fulfillment of the positive commandment, ‘Love your fellow as yourself,’ ” because it is a fundamental principle of great importance in our Divine service.

It is necessary to understand the meaning of all the above.

In the AriZal’s Taamei HaMitzvos, Parshas Kedoshim, it is written2in the name of the AriZal

(Sefer HaGilgulim 1:2): “Mystically, all Israel comprises one complete entity, the soul of Adam, as we have stated elsewhere

Each individual Jew constitutes one particular limb of Adam’s soul.

This is the basis of the mutual responsibility of our people and why one Jew is accountable for another if he sins.3

Accordingly, it was the custom of my teacher, the AriZal, to mention the specific transgressions enumerated in the confessional prayer although he did not, G‑d forbid, violate them;

for all Israel is one entity.”

To explain: the soul of Adam embodies the general, all-encompassing soul of all the souls of Israel

(except those that will descend after the time of the Resurrection, see ibid., ch. 7).

The structure of the human body reflects the structure of the collective of the Jewish people. Adam, the first man, encompassed within his soul all the souls of the entire collective. Some were drawn down from the part of the soul that corresponds to his head, others from that which corresponds to his arms,4 etc.

For this reason, he was called Adam.

That name relates to the phrase:5 Edameh l’Elyon, “I will resemble the One Above.”

For Adam was all-encompassing

and derived from the Sublime Man6 who is comprised of the Ten Sefiros in the configuration known as partzuf,

It is written (Shmos 4:22), “My firstborn son Israel”;

Elsewhere it is explained that the Sublime Man is identified with the Divine name מ"ה whose numerical value is forty-five.

of the world of Tikkun.7

In the spiritual frame of reference that this name brings into being, all Ten Sefiros are interrelated;

e.g., Chessed contains Gevurah and Gevurah contains Chessed, and the like.

In the world of Tohu,8 by contrast, the Sefiros were in a state of separation;

each one positioned under the other.

This integration of the Sefiros in Tikkun is brought about by drawing down influence from the Divine name מ"ה from the forehead of the Sublime Man.

This emanation from the Divine name מ"ה is Ein Sof, infinite,

and comprises the entire chainlike progression of worlds and realms, as well as all the individual beings, as it is written (I Divrei HaYamim 29:14): “All things derive from You.”

Hence, it brings about their interrelation even after they have each emerged into their particular revealed aspects.

This is the meaning of what is written in Tikkunei Zohar,9 “The name מ"ה is the path of Atzilus.”

Just like a path connects two separate places, G‑d’s name Mah joins together the discrete attributes of Atzilus;

see the detailed explanation in that source.

(See the explanation of the Zohar’s statement, Parshas Yisro: “All days receive their blessing...” for a detailed exposition,)

Similarly, it can be understood how all the souls of Israel collectively comprise one complete entity,

the soul of Adam, which is their general, all-embracing identity.

Although this soul contains 248 distinct “limbs,”

nevertheless, these parts are interrelated, each containing the others.

By way of analogy: the human body consists of distinct limbs and organs: the head, feet, hands, nails, etc.

Nevertheless, each part incorporates all the others.

There flows in the hand — through the interconnecting veins — something of the foot’s vitality.

The same is true with regard to all the other limbs and organs.

Therefore, as is known, it is possible to cure one limb of the body by drawing blood from another, because of the intermingling of blood in the circulatory system.

This interrelation of the bodily organs and the soul’s life energy contained within them comes as a result of the general life-force that includes them all.

This general life-force shines forth within the brain, and from it, all the particular qualities are diffused and individualized.10

It, however, contains them all, just as, for example, the unformed hylic11 matter contains all the particular entities that come into being from it, as is known.

For this reason, the brain feels the pain of all the 248 limbs

and, generally, its perception of the pain of the arm and of the leg is identical.

Indeed, at times, the brain will feel more acutely the pain of a wound to the nail than the pain of a wounded hand, as can be observed.

A similar concept applies with regard to the interrelation of the 248 dimensions of Adam’s soul, one with the other.

This interrelation comes as a result of the source of his soul’s vitality,

which is the Sublime Chochmah12 of the Sublime Man,13

the Ein Sof which rests within— and is united with— His Chochmah,

for “He and His Chochmah are all one.”14

Therefore, Adam and the Jewish people as a whole are called “My firstborn son.”

Just as a son is conceived from a seminal drop that derives from his father’s brain, so, too, the soul of Adam — and thus of all Israel — is derived from G‑d’s Chochmah.15

However, after Adam’s soul was divided into numerous root-souls,

which in turn subdivided into manifold branches and sparks in individual bodies,

the state of the soul became analogous to bodily organs which have become severed from one another.

In such a state, the pain of the foot is no longer felt by the hand.

The separation between one Jew and another, however, exists only in respect to the body.

Their souls are never truly separated, for they are all interlocked:

just as the hand has veins linking it to the legs and eyes, similarly, the foot has a connection with the hand. And so too the other limbs are interrelated.

Accordingly, the hand, for example, feels intense pain, in a spiritual sense, from the pain of the eye, as mentioned in the analogy above.

For this reason, the AriZal would recite confessional prayers for all the transgressions that any Jew may have committed, even though he did not commit these sins himself, as mentioned above.

For the person’s sins caused pain in the particular “limb” of the general soul in which that person’s soul was rooted.

This pain was transmitted to the higher “limb” of the soul where the soul of the AriZal was rooted.

How much more so is this true with respect to the Source of our souls,

i.e., “the brain of the Father and His blessed Wisdom,”16 which includes all the 248 elements and feels their pain.

We are therefore commanded to love every individual Jew,

since each Jew includes all the souls of Israel, as in the above analogy of the bodily organs.

Thus, since a person incorporates also his fellow, he should love his fellow as he does himself.

Similarly, he is incorporated within his fellow, as mentioned above with reference to the interconnection of the body’s organs.

This is also the reason one must accept upon himself this mitzvah before prayer,

so that he can offer his soul and have it ascend to G‑d, in an arousal from below,17when reciting the word Echad, “One,” in the Shema.

This ascent is not possible unless the soul is complete and “healthy.”

This latter state is accomplished when the soul incorporates all the other souls,

just as one of the organs of the body is healthy when the veins that connect it with all the other organs are healthy.

Then his soul can ascend in favor before G‑d at the level of His Chochmah,

which contains all the souls actually as one.

Since his soul is also unified with all others,

it can ascend into the general, all-encompassing light that is its source and root.

This unity is achieved when a man demonstrates with his person and with his body that he loves his fellow

– similar to the way the bodily organs are incorporated within each other –

with a feeling of “what is mine is yours,”19

for his fellow is his own “bone and flesh.”20

If, however, he feels hatred in his heart for a fellow Jew, he separates from his soul that part of his fellow contained within him,

rejecting it with this hatred and removing his own will from it.

This causes a blemish and a lack in his own soul,

for now this part is lacking within him.

He thus becomes defective –

since every individual part is comprised of all the 613 root-souls,

and therefore the other person is included within him.

Through his hatred, he severs that individual part from himself.

He is then unable to ascend in favor before G‑d,

as it is written:21 “Any kohen within whom there is a blemish shall not approach to offer....”

For the Or Ein Sof, which comprises them all, will not tolerate him because of the flaw within him,

i.e., the lack of that particular element–

for the Or Ein Sof comprises that missing individual as well.

This should suffice for the intelligent.

The need for unity explains why we have been commanded with several prohibitions against offerings being brought by blemished kohanim and against defective sacrificial animals themselves, as described in Parshas Emor.22

We have likewise been enjoined with a positive precept to offer every sacrifice unblemished,

as it is written,23 “To be accepted, it shall be perfect...”

Even though the rationale for this mitzvah has been thoroughly explained above,

there is yet another wonderful explanation, clarifying the awesome good

brought about by a person for himself and for the entire world through observing this positive mitzvah.

It also brings to light the opposite, G‑d forbid, i.e., what arises when one neglects this mitzvah and transgresses the Scriptural prohibition: “Do not hate...”

This explanation is based on an exposition of the abovementioned statement of Hillel: “What is hateful to you do not do to your fellow....” This requires explanation: why did Hillel paraphrase this mitzvah in the negative instead of using positive wording?

In particular, the question applies since the verse’s simple meaning and the translation of Onkelos use positive terminology.24

We must conclude that, as will be explained, Hillel’s rendition interprets the mitzvah of “Love your fellow as yourself” on a deeper level.

Our Sages’ teaching that25 “A person sees no flaw within himself” does not mean that a person is completely unaware of his shortcomings.

For someone else perceives only what is visible to the eye, while he discerns what is in the depths of his own heart.

Instead, the intent of the Talmudic adage is that his fault is not important to him and does not disturb him.

It is as if he does not see it at all,

because of his great self-love.

That love covers all his shortcomings,26although he is conscious of them, shielding them in an encompassing manner.

Though intellectually aware of his deficiencies, this knowledge will not evoke any emotional response.

Accordingly, his shortcomings give him no cause to be concerned.

He does not see any faults within himself, because they are submerged in – and nullified by – his intense self-love, which shields them in an encompassing manner.

When, however, another person points out his fault and understands it, he becomes very angry,

even though he himself is well aware that what the person says is true.

Essentially, his anger is not aroused by the fault itself, i.e., he does not feel that the other person is mistaken in his judgment and is suspecting him of a nonexistent defect,

for he knows that what the person says is true.

Instead, it is the other’s perception of his defect that inflames his ego and causes him agitation.

In contrast, when he himself knows ofthe fault, his self-love conceals it.

He becomes enraged at his colleague for bringing it out in the open,

i.e., for revealing his flaw from the concealed and unperceived state to which his self-love had relegated it.

For now, after the other person called attention to it, it has become a tangible and substantive shortcoming.

On this basis, we can appreciate Hillel’s statement: “What is hateful to you”

– i.e., having one of your shortcomings revealed –

“do not do to your fellow”

– do not expose his faults and imperfections,

whether in worldly matters, in his relations with others, or in his spiritual behavior.

Do not make them noticeable and concrete.

Instead, let your love for him be so great that it covers his flaws

and does not permit your intellectual awareness of them to evoke an emotional response.

When a person feels an exceedingly great yearning and desire for another

because of a great and powerful attraction to him issuing from the very essence of his soul,

any wrong that the other may inflict upon him that conflicts with his love will not be important at all to him.

It will be nullified in the great intensity of his love,

as the verse states: “Many waters cannot extinguish the love...” (Shir HaShirim 8:7).

Therefore Hillel declared, “This is the entire Torah.”

For the interrelation of the souls of Israel with each other, becoming truly one,

as if they are a single entity,

evokes a most wondrous effect Above,

which is the essence and purpose of the entire Torah,

i.e., the unity of the Holy One, blessed be He, In kabbalistic terminology, this refers to the Sefiros of Z’eir Anpin

with His Shechinah.

G‑d’s Shechinah is identified as both Imma Tataah (“the Lower Matriarch”) and Matronisa (“the Matron”).

Both of these terms are analogies for the Sefirah of Malchus, the source of Jewish souls.

The term “the Holy One, blessed be He,” which refers to Z’eir Anpin, is also identified with the souls of the Jewish people. To explain: Our Sages state (Bava Metzia 84a): “The beauty of Yaakov was similar to Adam’s.”

This means that all the souls of the Jewish people were incorporated within Yaakov,

and thus he resembled the beauty of the Sublime Man on His throne, “the appearance of the likeness of G‑d’s glory” (Yechezkel 1:26, 28),

for “His people are a part of G‑d” (Devarim 32:9) and thus G‑d’s spiritual qualities are mirrored in them.

When the souls of Israel join and unite, this in turn unites the One G‑d

with one,27the level of Malchus, the source of the Jewish people.

G‑d becomes united with Israel and they become truly one.

As a result, the Sublime Man sees no deficiency within Himself,

and He removes every transgression of Israel, as “one who cleanses in the mighty ocean.”28

And as it is written (Bamidbar 23:21): “He beholds no sin in Yaakov and sees no wrongdoing in Israel,” because “the L‑rd his G‑d is with him.”

Just as on the earthly plane a person does not see his own faults, so, too, the Sublime Man does not see, metaphorically speaking, His own fault,

This should suffice for the intelligent.

The meaning of the phrase, “He beholds no sin... and sees no wrongdoing...” is not that the faults are concealed from Him, G‑d forbid.

Rather the intent is, to borrow the phrasing of the verse (Iyov 11:11): “He sees iniquity, but takes no notice of it.”

Although through His infinite and boundless knowledge He knows of their wrongdoings, influence is not drawn down from that knowledge

to arouse the Divine attribute of might, which is identified with severity and judgment.

For His love covers it, as it is written (ibid., 3:23): “And before whom G‑d (א-לוה) erected a barrier.”

G‑d’s name א-לוה is a composite of the letters א-ל ו-ה,

which refer to the sublime kindness

which envelops and encompasses the Jewish people, preventing their flaws from being recognized, as explained in Etz Chayim.30

(This kindness serves as a garment for the soul and a seal, protecting it.)

This is not the case, however, when, G‑d forbid, there is separation among the Jewish people.

For as stated above: “Any kohen within whom there is a blemish shall not approach.”

The existence of a blemish also causes separation Above between the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Shechinah, the source of the Jewish people.

Then the Sublime Man will notice flaws,

and that person’s flaw in particular,

for it was he who brought about this disunity, Heaven forbid.

“Bless us, our Father; all of us as one.”

For when there is oneness, “You are entirely beautiful, My beloved, and there is no blemish in you” (Shir HaShirim 4:7).

This brings about the unity of the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Shechinah,

i.e., the revelation of Or Ein Sof within the source of the souls of Israel: bringing about the unity of “One with one.”

This is the mystical secret implied bythe verse (Devarim 18:13): “You shall be tamim (whole, perfect) with Havayah Elokecha, G‑d your L‑rd.”

G‑d’s relationship with the totality of the souls of Israel is tam, i.e., in a state of completeness and perfection.

The intent being that the radiance of the Sublime Chochmah shines into all the dimensions – literally, “limbs – of the Shechinah in their totality

as implied by the charge: “Love your fellow as yourself,”

without beholding the flaws within the Shechinah. Any flaw in the Shechinah result from the faults of the Jewish people.

In a similar way, you should be tamim with your fellow Jews,

so that Havayah will be Elokecha,

through offering your soul to G‑d with complete self-sacrifice when reciting the word Echad in the Shema, as has been discussed above.

This is the meaning of Hillel’s statement: “The remainder is commentary,”

To explain: As is known, the purpose of all the mitzvos is to bring about the unity of the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Shechinah.

For the essential unity of the Sublime Man, the form of man projected by Z’eir Anpin,with His Shechinah,

which is called “the beauty of Yaakov,”

depends upon the revelation of genuine love for another person, until it actually resembles self-love,

for as mentioned above, “His people are a part of G‑d,”

This is accomplished through the performance of the mitzvah, “Love your fellow as yourself,” as explained above.

All the other mitzvos are like a commentary that explains this unity.

(That is, they establish the form through which this unity will be expressed.

For example, through Torah study, man’s wisdom is united with G‑d’s wisdom.

Similarly, our love is united with His love

and so, too, we connect all of our other emotional attributes to the corresponding emotive attributes of G‑d through the performance of the other mitzvos.

To illustrate by analogy: When a person clings to and connects powerfully with another person, the cause of the attachment is authentic love.

The oneness between them is then expressed in various forms:

at times in speech, conversing about words of wisdom;

at times in emotion, displaying love for each other;

at times in deed, in doing favors with physical things.

In the analogue, the 248 positive mitzvos are the “248 limbs of the King.”33

Each mitzvah brings about a dimension of unity associated with the particular organ to which the mitzvah corresponds;

all the other attributes are contained within it.

Similar concepts apply with regard to all other mitzvos.)

For example, the mitzvah of wrapping oneself in a tallis is identified with the charge (Devarim 17:15): “Accept upon yourself a King,”34

eliciting for himself the encompassing light that enables the recipient to offer his soul to G‑d when reciting the word echad in the Shema.

For “if there is no fear of G‑d,

there is no Chochmah” (Avos 3:17).

Afterwards, there is a higher level of fear that follows Chochmah, as the mishnah continues: “If there is no Chochmah there is no fear.”

This refers to absolute bittul which stems from one’s closeness to G‑d.

For the characteristic of fear is that the closer one approaches, the more he is overcome with a feeling of awe.

The characteristic of love, on the other hand, is that the farther one moves from the object of his love, the stronger the love grows.

Accordingly, after the expression of the bittul stemming from Chochmah when reciting the word echad, he will be instilled with the awe that stems from absolute bittul.

The vestige of this all-encompassing awe becomes invested in the encompassing light of the tallis, inspiring him with the external fear that precedes Chochmah.

All this is only an explanation – a commentary – of the unity as generated by the soul’s faculty of Chochmah when one offers his soul to G‑d when reciting the word Echad, which represents the mystic secret of unity.

The fundamental dimension of this unity is brought about by the positive mitzvah of “Love your fellow....”

For then, “You are entirely beautiful, My beloved, and there is no blemish in you,” and “You shall be tamim (whole, perfect) with G‑d your L‑rd,” as explained above.

Furthermore, this positive mitzvah of “Love your fellow as yourself,” and especially the negative precept, “Do not hate...,” can be well explained from another perspective

in light of the exposition elsewhere35 on the verse, “Choose from among you... to bring G‑d’s retribution upon Midian” (Bamidbar 31:3).

There it explains that the kelipah of Midian is baseless hatred, and the retribution of G‑d must be executed upon Midian. Consult that source.