Love Your Neighbor

Mat 22:36 "Rabbi, which of the mitzvot(commandment) in the Torah is the most important?"
Mat 22:37 He told him, " 'You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'
Mat 22:38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah.
Mat 22:39 And a second is similar to it, 'You are to love your neighbor as yourself.'
Mat 22:40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot."
Complete Jewish Bible

These are the words of Jesus and most Christians, and many Jews, believe that He created the "Golden Rule". But Yeshua, Jesus, was quoting the Torah, the Hebrew Bible.

Lev 19:18 Don't take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai.

Embedded in the command to "Love your neighbor as yourself" is direction to "love yourself". It has been put forward in Psychological studies that people who do not like themselves have difficulty liking others. Baal Hem Tov gives guidance for those who do like themselves on how to succeed with this commandment; "Just as we love ourselves despite the faults we know we have, so should we love our neighbors despite the faults we see in them."
Credit: Jewish Literacy, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

If you have the opportunity to read the above reference then do so. It is intended to teach Jews about being Jewish. But there are many connections with the Messiah Yeshua and His Jewish lineage.

Hillel: The Golden Rule

Hillel
The Golden Rule: "What is Hateful Unto You, Do not Do Unto Your Neighbor."

One of the most virtuous human beings that lived was Judaism's Hillel.
He loved people and learning. He would sacrifice himself to advance either.But his greatest virtue was the use of his intellect to direct Judaism towards the goal of "tikkun olam", the ethical bettering of the world we all live in.
One of the most famous stories told of him is about his being approached by a non-Jew about converting him to Judaism. The only condition was that Hillel define Judaism's essence while standing on one foot. Hillel's response;
"What is hateful unto you do not do unto your neighbor. The rest is commentary -now go and study." (Shabbat 31a)
Maybe these words sound familiar to you. Look at Matthew chapter 7 verse 12:
“Therefore, whatever you wish men to do to you, do also to them,
for this is the Torah and the Prophets." The Scriptures 1998
"Always treat others as you would like them to treat you;
that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets." Complete Jewish Bible
These were the words credited to Yeshua (Jesus) by His apostles and followers.
How ironic that we deny the Jewish roots of Christianity yet hold so firm to the Words of the Jewish Rabbi Yeshua who reflects the words of the Jewish Rabbi Hillel. To be fair, it is not the fault of the current majority of Christianity.
The church began separating prior Constantine's embracing the Roman church and outlawing Judaism in the early 300's AD. We are what we have been taught.
But now is the time to truly study the Scriptures for ourselves and discover our roots. Stay tuned to this blog and the following: http://bjmi.blogspot.com for continued studies.
We also have a Thursday night Hayesod (foundations) study that you can become involved in. We can expand the study to other nights if there is enough interest.
Contact: bill.j.hill@gmail.com
Can you imagine what we would be if we stopped splintering, bickering and fighting amonst ourselves and followed this "Golden Rule" so carefully handed down to both the Jew and Christian?
Credits: Jewish Literacy, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin