רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן אָמַר: מִצְוַת אַהֲבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא לִיְלִיד עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם לֹא רָאָה אוֹתוֹ, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן לַחֲבֵר עַדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בִּמְקוֹם מְגוּרוֹ, שֶׁהוּא בֶּן אוֹ בַּת עֲדָתוֹ.

The Alter Rebbe taught that the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael, loving a fellow Jew, applies to every member of the Jewish people, even if one has never seen him. How much more does it apply to a member of the Jewish neighborhood in which one lives, to every man or woman who is a member of one’s own community.1

Delving Deeply

Paradoxically, the second part of this teaching often proves more difficult to fulfill than the first. It is easier to love people whom we barely know, because our relationship with them is so transient. We do them a favor and they are gone. By contrast, a much stronger commitment is required in order to show love and concern to someone we see on a daily basis. This indeed is the challenge.