Ahavat Yisrael

Hillel’s unique formulation expresses a deeper level of the mitzvah of loving your fellow as yourself.

Here's my problem: It says you have to love G‑d with all your heart. That leaves no room to love people. Doesn't the love of G‑d lessen our love of humanity?

Hillel said that all of Torah is about caring for the other guy, and the rest is commentary. On the other hand, traditional Judaism says that we must follow all of the commandments to be on G‑d’s good side . . .

Question: We are a small Jewish community, about 30 people, outside the U.S. in a 3rd world country. We have no rabbi. One of the Jews here disturbs other members with accusations and belligerent behavior. Some in the community would like to exclude her; ...

Question: Dear Rabbi, Recently, at our shul, a homeless man named Joe,No, that’s not his real name. The question has also been abbreviated. who has been attending every week, was asked by the rabbi not to enter the building anymore. The reason was that Jo...

Kiruv is a Hebrew word that means "bringing close," and can mean any form of bringing someone or something close—physically, emotionally, or spiritually. With regards to other people, kiruv is the fulfillment of the biblical obligation to "Love your fello...

Question: One of the guys who attends my local synagogue is a nag, who is constantly criticizing everyone, at every moment, every day. Hey, he even critiques the rabbi! I have had as much of him as I can stand, and in fact, I have actually told him this a...

Have you ever done any carpentry or one of those Ikea do-it-yourself jobs? They always tell you not to tighten the bolts until the whole thing’s been put together.

Is it better to keep Shabbat and eat only kosher but be unkind and dishonest, or to be a good person who is not as observant?

If you had a child, an only child, who was too much of a wimp to stand up for his rights, would you smack him in the face and watch him fall to the ground?