“You shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem”
^(Vayikra 19:18)
“You shall love your fellow as yourself,” Rabbi Akiva says this is a fundamental principle of the Torah. Ben Azzai says that the pasuk “This is the account of the descendants of Man” is an even greater precept (Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:41).
>“What is loathsome to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the entire Torah. The rest is commentary, go and learn it.” This means that this pasuk contains everything that is in the entire Torah. The rest of the Torah is explanation. Go ahead and study it (Shabbat 31a).
Love is the opposite of hate. Love means that one helps his friend succeed in the same way that he would like to succeed, be it in matters of health or physical success. Certainly he should never do to his friend something which he would not want done to himself. Philosophers have explained that the foremost rule, which lies at the root of good character, is that one should regard others as he wishes to be regarded. He should not live with a double standard, wishing ill upon his friend so that he can benefit. He should always weigh the matter honestly. Would he like to be on the receiving end of such behavior? Does he think it is appropriate for people to lead their friends astray so that they can benefit? He surely does not consider it right that someone else should gain on his account. This thought will prevent him from acting in a like manner. Similarly, if a person has the ability to help out his friend yet refrains, he should likewise consider if he would like it if his friend behaved in this way toward him. This is what Rabbi Akiva means by stating that this pasuk is a fundamental principle of the Torah.
Yet the philosophers were not satisfied with this. They claimed that this rule was not all-encompassing. According to it, one acts only for his individual benefit. It is appropriate to behave for the sake of a higher wisdom, unadulterated by personal motives.
For this reason, Ben Azzai raised the bar to a more exalted level. He calls the pasuk “This is the account of the descendants of Man” a more important precept. This means that all people are considered one unit. All were created in the Divine image. By extension, each person completes the image of the Divine, which includes all people, like one body comprised of many organs. The head loves the hand as much as it loves itself. This is in line with Ben Azzai’s teaching in Avot, “Do not disdain any man.” The Gemara (Berachot 6b) states that the entire world was created for this commandment. All mankind is considered one body. The more elevated person is like the heart, while the others are like the flesh, nerves, bones, skin, and cartilage. These body parts surround and protect the heart. The heart feels when one of the body parts is in pain. Likewise, one should seek the benefit of his fellow man in the same way that he seeks his own, for each person is an intrinsic part of the whole (Malbim, Vayikra 8).
