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Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself: What Did the Rabbis Say?

לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ

וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ

אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃

You shall neither take vengeance nor bear a grudge against members of your people.
Love your neighbor as yourself:

I am The LORD.

First Century Rabbis (conversely)

שׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בְּגוֹי אֶחָד שֶׁבָּא לִפְנֵי שַׁמַּאי. אָמַר לוֹ: גַּיְּירֵנִי עַל מְנָת שֶׁתְּלַמְּדֵנִי כׇּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ כְּשֶׁאֲנִי עוֹמֵד עַל רֶגֶל אַחַת! דְּחָפוֹ בְּאַמַּת הַבִּנְיָן שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ. בָּא לִפְנֵי הִלֵּל, גַּיְירֵיהּ. אָמַר לוֹ: דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד — זוֹ הִיא כׇּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְאִידַּךְ פֵּירוּשָׁהּ הוּא, זִיל גְּמוֹר.

...Another incident involving one gentile who came before Shammai (50 BCE – 30 CE) and said to Shammai: "Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot."
He pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand.
He came before Hillel (d. 10 CE). He converted him and said to him: "That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study."

Second Century Rabbis: General Principal of the Torah?

"ואהבת לרעך כמוך" –

רבי עקיבא אומר זה כלל גדול בתורה.

בן עזאי אומר "זה ספר תולדות אדם" – זה כלל גדול מזה.

"And you shall love your neighbor as yourself":

Rabbi Akiva (50-135 CE) says: "This is an all-embracing principle in the Torah."

Ben Azzai (first third of the 2nd century) says: "'This is the numeration of the generations of Adam' (Gen. 5:1) — This is an even greater principle."

Early Third Century: The Necessity to See a Potential Wife Prior to Betrothal

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אָסוּר לָאָדָם שֶׁיְּקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה עַד שֶׁיִּרְאֶנָּה, שֶׁמָּא יִרְאֶה בָּהּ דָּבָר מְגוּנֶּה וְתִתְגַּנֶּה עָלָיו, וְרַחֲמָנָא אָמַר: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ״.

Rav Yehudah (220–299 CE) said: "Rav (175–247 CE) said: 'It is forbidden for a man to betroth a woman until he sees her, lest he see something repulsive in her and she will become repugnant to him, and the Merciful One states “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).'"

Mid-Third Century: Ability to Let Blood for One's Son

דאיבעיא להו בן מהו שיקיז דם לאביו

רב מתנא אמר (ויקרא יט, יח) ואהבת לרעך כמוך
רב דימי בר חיננא אמר מכה אדם ומכה בהמה מה מכה בהמה לרפואה פטור אף מכה אדם לרפואה פטור

A dilemma was raised before the Sages: What is whether a son may let blood for his father?
Rav Mattana (250-290 CE) said: "'And you shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)."

Rav Dimi bar Ḥinnana said: "One who strikes a person and one who strikes an animal: Just as one who strikes an animal for medical purposes is exempt from paying restitution, so too, one who strikes a person for medical purposes is exempt from liability."

Mid-Third Century: No Daytime Sex?

אמר רב חסדא אסור לו לאדם שישמש מטתו ביום שנאמר (ויקרא יט, יח) ואהבת לרעך כמוך

מאי משמע

אמר אביי שמא יראה בה דבר מגונה ותתגנה עליו

אמר רב הונא ישראל קדושים הם ואין משמשין מטותיהן ביום
אמר רבא ואם היה בית אפל מותר ות"ח מאפיל בכסותו ומשמש

Rav Ḥisda (228-320 CE) said: "It is prohibited for a person to engage in intercourse by day, as it is stated: 'And you shall love your fellow as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)."

From where is this inferred?

Abaye (280-337 CE) said: "Perhaps he will see some repulsive matter and she will become repugnant to him."

Rav Huna (216-297 CE) said: "Jews are holy, and they do not engage in intercourse by day."
Rava (280-352 CE) said: "And if
the house is dark, it is permitted. And in the case of a Torah scholar, he may cause darkness with his garment and engage in intercourse."

Late Third Century: Selecting a Swift Death for the Death Penalty

אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה אמר קרא (ויקרא יט, יח) ואהבת לרעך כמוך ברור לו מיתה יפה

Rav Naḥman (d. 320 CE) said: "Rabbah bar Avuh (250-290 CE) said: 'The verse states: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) -select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him."

See also Sanhedrin 52b, Sotah 8b, Sanhedrin 45a, Pesahim 75a, Ketubot 37b, and Bava Kamma 51a for various instances of this statement being used to not make people's deaths worse for the death penalty.

Talmud Yerushalmi on deaths

תַּמָּן אִינּוּן אָֽמְרִין. הָאִישׁ נִסְקַל עָרוּם וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִסְקֶלֶת עֲרוּמָה. וְהָכָא אִינּוּן אָֽמְרִין הָכֵין. תַּמָּן וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֶעֲךְ כָמוֹךָ. יָבוֹר לוֹ מִיתָה קַלָה שֶׁבְּקַלּוֹת. בְּרַם הָכָא וְנִיוַּסְּרוּ כָּל־הַנָּשִׁים וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂינָה כְּזִימַּתְכֶינָה.

There, they say: “A man is stoned naked but no woman is stoned naked.” And here, they say so? There, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” choose for him the easiest death. But here, “all women should be taught and not do as your whoring.”

תַּמָּן אָֽמְרִין. הָאִישׁ נִסְקָל עָרוֹם וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִסְקֶלֶת עֲרוּמָּה. וָכָא אִינּוּן אָֽמְרִין הָכֵין. הָכָא וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵֽעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ. בְּרוֹר לוֹ מִיתָה יָפָה. בְּרַם תַּמָּן נִיוַּסְּרוּ כָּל־הַנָּשִׁ֔ים.

There, they say: “A man is stoned naked, but no woman is stoned naked.” And here, they say so? Here, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, choose for him a decorous death. But here, all women should be taught.