Parshas Kedoshim 5784

The Gemara in Shabbos (31a) tells an interesting story of a non-Jew who came before Hillel the Elder and asked him to convert him, but with one ask. “Please tell me the Torah while I stand on one foot!” Hillel responded, "That which you hate, don't do to your friend. The rest is commentary you’ll learn.”

שבת ל״א א:ו׳

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.

Shabbat 31a:6

There was another incident involving one gentile who came before Shammai and said to Shammai: Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot. Shammai pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand. This was a common measuring stick and Shammai was a builder by trade. The same gentile came before Hillel. 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.

The commentaries say that Hillel was actually telling him the essence of the mitzvah mentioned in this week's parsha, "Love your friend like yourself (Vayikra 19:18).

(In fact, Targum Yonasan ben Uzziel, a student of Hillel, renders the passuk according to his rebbe's understanding:

תרגום יונתן על ויקרא י״ט:י״ח

(יח) לָא תֶהֱווֹן נַקְמִין וְלָא נַטְרִין דְבָבוּ לִבְנֵי עַמָךְ וּתְרַחֲמֵי לְחַבְרָךְ דְמַן אַנְתְּ סַנֵי לָךְ לָא תַעֲבֵיד לֵיהּ אֲנָא יְיָ

Targum Jonathan on Leviticus 19:18

(18) Be not revengeful, nor cherish animosity against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbour himself, as that though there be (cause of) hatred with thee thou mayest not do (evil) to him: I am the Lord.

סוכה כ״ח א:ה׳

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שְׁמוֹנִים תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְהִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן. שְׁלֹשִׁים מֵהֶן רְאוּיִם שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה עֲלֵיהֶן שְׁכִינָה כְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים מֵהֶן רְאוּיִם שֶׁתַּעֲמוֹד לָהֶם חַמָּה כִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן. עֶשְׂרִים בֵּינוֹנִים. גָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּכוּלָּן — יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עוּזִּיאֵל, קָטָן שֶׁבְּכוּלָּן — רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי.

Sukkah 28a:5

The Gemara continues to praise the Sages. The Sages taught: Hillel the Elder had eighty students. Thirty of them were sufficiently worthy that the Divine Presence should rest upon them as it did upon Moses our teacher, and thirty of them were sufficiently worthy that the sun should stand still for them as it did for Joshua bin Nun, and twenty were on an intermediate level between the other two. The greatest of all the students was Yonatan ben Uzziel, and the youngest of them was Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai.

ערבי נחל, נצבים ב׳:קכ״ג

והנה אותו העובד כוכבים (שבת ל"א.) שאמר גיירני על מנת שתלמדני כל התורה על רגל אחת אמר לו הלל ע"ה ואהבת לרעך כמוך, הרי כי זהו קיצור כל התורה ואידך פירושה הוא.

(וז"ש על עזבם את תורתי אשר נתתי לפניהם דייקא, שהוא ואהבת לרעך כמוך, ור"ל ע"י שנאת חינם וכאמור ונכון)

Arvei Nachal, Nitzavim 2:123

...

In fact, 5 generations later, Rabbi Akiva would explicitly dub this mitzvah as "a great fundamental in Torah."
(Hillel was born towards the end of the first century BCE and died in 10 CE, whereas Rebbi Akiva was born in 50 CE and died in 135 CE.)

ספרא, קדושים, פרק ד י״ב

(יב) "ואהבת לרעך כמוך" – רבי עקיבא אומר זה כלל גדול בתורה.

Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 12

(12) "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself": R. Akiva says: This is an all-embracing principle in the Torah.

The Maharsha asks, if Hillel was, in fact, communicating this mitzvah to him, why did he "cloak" it in these terms; why not tell him outright chapter and verse of "Love your neighbor like you love yourself" as it’s written in the Torah?

מהרש"א, חידושי אגדות שבת לא דעלך סני לחברך לא כו'.
והיינו דכתיב בתורה ואהבת לרעך כמוך וגו'... אמאי שינה לומר לו בלשון שלילה דעלך סני כו' דתרגום מלישנא דקרא הל"ל ותרחמיה לחברך כוותך כת"א?

Chiddushei HaRim, answers with an astounding principle.
The mitzvah of "Ve'Ahavta Le'Raeacha Kamocha", to love a fellow Jew like oneself, is something only members of the Jewish people can truly understand, because the Jewish people are one entity.
We don't just "share our religion in common" like two people who share a passion for a sports team. We are one. Therefore, to tell this potential convert the the pure unadulterated version of the verse wouldn't make any sense to him, and wouldn't give him a fighting chance at converting; the concept is simply fathomable.
Therefore, Hillel chose the closest thing to this concept; "Don't do something that you wouldn't like to your friend", since this is something that can span across all religions and societies.

Chiddushei HaRim wrote this piece in the early 1800s, but it is far from being outdated. Nowhere clearer did we see and continue to see this unique love between the Jewish people since the aftermath of October 7th.
Klal Yisrael not only "paid sympathies" to our Israeli brethren and "had them in our thoughts and prayers". Our overwhelming love and responsibility to our fellow Yidden spurred unprecedented action.
Virtual strangers across Israel housed fellow Jews who were displaced from their homes. Jews from around the world sent care packages with toys, games, and activities to cheer up the children. Kosher restaurants sent food for soldiers.
People left their jobs and families to volunteer with caring for the deceased and paying shiva calls. And harnessing the power of social media, an incredible Facebook page was created by the daughter of our very own Mr. Jon Ruttenberg. Sword of Iron - Israel Volunteer Opportunities https://www.facebook.com/groups/353201190423242/ continues to match over 30,000 volunteers (and countingl) with volunteer opportunities in Israel to help displaced families, help with harvesting fruits and vegetables, and much more.
Who is like the nation of Israel?
Shabbat Shalom!