(ט) וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶם֙ אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֔ם לֹ֧א תְכַלֶּ֛ה פְּאַ֥ת שָׂדְךָ֖ לִקְצֹ֑ר וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִֽירְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תְלַקֵּֽט׃ (י) וְכַרְמְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תְעוֹלֵ֔ל וּפֶ֥רֶט כַּרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (יא) לֹ֖א תִּגְנֹ֑בוּ וְלֹא־תְכַחֲשׁ֥וּ וְלֹֽא־תְשַׁקְּר֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ בַּעֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ (יב) וְלֹֽא־תִשָּׁבְע֥וּ בִשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְחִלַּלְתָּ֛ אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י ה׳׃ (יג) לֹֽא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִגְזֹ֑ל לֹֽא־תָלִ֞ין פְּעֻלַּ֥ת שָׂכִ֛יר אִתְּךָ֖ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃ (יד) לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י ה׳׃ (טו) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃ (טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י ה׳׃ (יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃ (יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י ה׳׃
(9) When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. (10) You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I ה׳ am your God. (11) You shall not steal; you shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another. (12) You shall not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God: I am ה׳. (13) You shall not defraud your fellow [Israelite]. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning. (14) You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am ה׳. (15) You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kin fairly. (16) Do not deal basely with members of your people. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow [Israelite]: I am ה׳. (17) You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kin but incur no guilt on their account. (18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against members of your people. Love your fellow [Israelite] as yourself: I am ה׳.
ולפני עור לא תתן מכשול. לִפְנֵי הַסּוּמָא בְדָבָר לֹא תִתֵּן עֵצָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ הוֹגֶנֶת לוֹ, אַל תֹּאמַר מְכֹר שָׂדְךָ וְקַח לְךָ חֲמוֹר, וְאַתָּה עוֹקֵף עָלָיו וְנוֹטְלָהּ הֵימֶנּוּ (שם):
ולפני עור לא תתן מכשל THOU SHALT NOT PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE THE BLIND — This implies: "Give not a person who is "blind" in a matter an advice which is improper for him. Do not say to him: "Sell your field and buy from the proceeds of the sale an ass", the fact being that you are endeavouring to circumvent him and to take it (the field) from him (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 2 14).
ויראת מאלהיך. לְפִי שֶׁהַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֵינוֹ מָסוּר לַבְּרִיּוֹת לֵידַע אִם דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל זֶה לְטוֹבָה אוֹ לְרָעָה, וְיָכוֹל לְהִשָּׁמֵט וְלוֹמַר לְטוֹבָה נִתְכַּוַּנְתִּי, לְפִיכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמַּכִּיר מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ; וְכֵן כָּל דָּבָר הַמָּסוּר לְלִבּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָעוֹשֵׂהוּ וְאֵין שְׁאָר הַבְּרִיּוֹת מַכִּירוֹת בּוֹ, נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ:
ויראת מאלהיך BUT THOU SHALT BE AFRAID OF THY GOD — Because in this case it is not given to human beings to know whether the intention of this man (the offender) was for the advantage or the disadvantage of the person whom he advised, and he thus might be able to evade the responsibility by saying: "I meant it for the best", Scripture therefore states with reference to him: "But thou shall be afraid of thy God" Who is cognizant of thy secret thoughts. Similarly in all actions where it is given only to the heart of him who does it to know the motive that prompts him and where other people have no insight into it, Scripture states, "But be afraid of thy God!" (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 2 14; Bava Metzia 58b).
לא תשא פני דל. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר עָנִי הוּא זֶה, וְהֶעָשִׁיר חַיָּב לְפַרְנְסוֹ, אֲזַכֶּנּוּ בַדִּין וְנִמְצָא מִתְפַּרְנֵס בִּנְקִיּוּת (ספרא):
לא תשא פני דל THOU SHALT NOT RESPECT THE PERSON OF THE INDIGENT — i. e. thou shalt not say, "This is a poor man, and the rich man has in any case the duty of supporting him; I will find in favor of him (the poor man) and he will consequently obtain some support in a respectable fashion (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 2).
ולא תהדר פני גדול. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר עָשִׁיר הוּא זֶה, בֶּן גְּדוֹלִים הוּא זֶה, הֵיאַךְ אֲבַיְּשֶׁנּוּ וְאֶרְאֶה בְּבָשְׁתּוֹ? עֹנֶשׁ יֵשׁ בַּדָּבָר לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָדוֹל:
ולא תהדר פני גדול NOR HONOR THE PERSON OF THE MIGHTY — thou shalt not say, “This is a rich man, or, this man is of noble descent (lit., the son of great people) how can I possibly put him to shame and be witness to his shame? There is punishment for such a thing!” It is for this reason that Scripture states, "thou shalt not honor the person of the mighty” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 3).
בצדק תשפט עמיתך. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ; דָּ"אַ: הֱוֵי דָן אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ לְכַף זְכוּת (שבועות ל'):
בצדק תשפט עמיתך IN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALT THOU JUDGE THY COMPANION — Take this as the words imply (i.e. take the word צדק as what it usually implies: strict right). Another explanation is: Judge thy fellow man with an inclination in his favour (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 4; Shevuot 30a).
ואהבת לרעך כמוך. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא זֶה כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה (ספרא):
ואהבת לרעך כמוך THOU SHALT LOVE THY FELLOW MAN AS THYSELF —Rabbi Akiba said: “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 12; Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:3).
ואהבת לרעך. על דעת רבים שהלמ״ד נוסף כלמ״ד לאבנר ועל דעתי שהוא כמשמעו שיאהב הטוב לחברו כמו לנפשו:
BUT THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR. Many are of the opinion that the lamed of le-re’akha [Le-re’akha literally means to thy neighbor.]
(thy neighbor) is superfluous [If we take le-re’akha literally, then our verse reads, but thou shalt love to thy neighbor as thyself. This does not appears to make sense. Hence this interpretation means that we should ignore the lamed prefixed to re’akha and interpret our verse as reading, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.]
. It is like the lamed of le-avner (Abner) (II Sam. 3:30) [Le-avner is to be interpreted as if written avner.]
. I believe that le-re’akha is to be taken literally [That is, the lamed of le-re’akha (thy neighbor) is not superfluous.] . Its meaning is that one should love that which is good for one’s neighbor as he does for himself. [I. E. interprets the lamed of le-re’akha as meaning “for.” He interprets our verse as follows: You shall love for your neighbor what you love for yourself (Krinsky). Weiser claims that I.E. interprets the lamed of le-re’akha as meaning “of.” He interprets our verse as follows: You shall love of your neighbor’s welfare as you love your own welfare.
]
וְטַעַם וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ הַפְלָגָה, כִּי לֹא יְקַבֵּל לֵב הָאָדָם שֶׁיֶּאֱהֹב אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ כְּאַהֲבָתוֹ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ. וְעוֹד שֶׁכְּבָר בָּא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְלִמֵּד, חַיֶּיךָ קוֹדְמִין לְחַיֵּי חֲבֵרְךָ (ב"מ סב). אֶלָּא מִצְוַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁיֹּאהַב חֲבֵרוֹ בְּכָל עִנְיָן כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאהַב אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ בְּכָל הַטּוֹב. וְיִתָּכֵן בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר "וְאָהַבְתָּ אֶת רֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" וְהִשְׁוָה אוֹתָם בְּמִלַּת "לְרֵעֲךָ", וְכֵן "וְאָהַבְתָּ לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ" (ויקרא י"ט:ל"ד) דְּגֵר, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁוֹ לְהַשְׁווֹת אַהֲבַת שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּדַעְתּוֹ, כִּי פְּעָמִים שֶׁיֹּאהַב אָדָם אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בִּדְבָרִים יְדוּעִים, לְהֵטִיבוֹ בְּעֹשֶׁר וְלֹא בְּחָכְמָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, וְאִם יִהְיֶה אוֹהֲבוֹ בַּכֹּל, יַחְפֹּץ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה רֵעֵהוּ הָאָהוּב לוֹ בְּעֹשֶׁר וּבִנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וּבְדַעַת וּבְחָכְמָה, וְלֹא שֶׁיִּשְׁוֶה אֵלָיו אֲבָל יִהְיֶה חָפֵץ בְּלִבּוֹ לְעוֹלָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הוּא יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּכָל טוֹבָה. וִיצַוֶּה הַכָּתוּב שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיֶה פְּחִיתוּת הַקִּנְאָה הַזֹּאת בְּלִבּוֹ, אֲבָל יֹאהַב בִּרְבוֹת הַטּוֹבָה לַחֲבֵרוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה לְנַפְשׁוֹ, וְלֹא יִתֵּן שִׁעוּרִין בָּאַהֲבָה.
AND THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF. This is an expression by way of overstatement, for a human heart is not able to accept a command to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Moreover, Rabbi Akiba has already come and taught, “Your life takes precedence over the life of your fellow-being.” [Baba Metzia 62 a. This teaching applies to a case where “two people are together on a journey and one has a pitcher of water; if they both drink from it they will die, because there is not enough for both, but if only one will drink he will survive. Ben Petura taught that it is better that both should drink and die, rather than that one should see the death of the other. [This was held to be the law] until Rabbi Akiba came and taught: that thy brother may live with thee (further, 25:36), thy life takes precedence over the life of thy brother.”]
Rather, the commandment of the Torah means that one is to love one’s fellow-being in all matters, as one loves all good for oneself [Thus: “he is to speak in praise of his neighbor, and be as careful of his neighbor’s property as he is careful of his own property, and be as solicitous of his neighbor’s honor as he is of his own” (Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Mada, 6:3).]
. It is possible that since it does not say “and thou shalt love ‘eth rei’acha’ [In that case the command would have been to love the person of one’s neighbor as much as one loves one’s own self. But instead the verse says l’rei’acha, which means “to [or ‘for’] your neighbor,” thus teaching that that which is good “for” your neighbor you should love as if it were good for youself.]
as thyself,” but instead it likened them in the word ‘l’rei’acha’ [which literally means “to” thy neighbor], and similarly it states with reference to a proselyte, and thou shalt love ‘lo’ (him) [but literally: “to” him] as thyself, that the meaning thereof is to equate the love of both [himself and his neighbor, or himself and the proselyte] in his mind. For sometimes a person will love his neighbor in certain matters, such as doing good to him in material wealth but not with wisdom and similar matters. But if he loves him completely, he will want his beloved friend to gain riches, properties, honor, knowledge and wisdom. However [because of human nature] he will still not want him to be his equal, for there will always be a desire in his heart that he should have more of these good things than his neighbor. Therefore Scripture commanded that this degrading jealousy should not exist in his heart, but instead a person should love to do abundance of good for his fellow-being as he does for himself, and he should place no limitations upon his love for him.
(ה) אֹ֭הֵב צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט חֶ֥סֶד יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(5) He loves what is right and just; the earth is full of the LORD’s faithful care.
הָשִֽׁיבָה שׁוֹפְ֒טֵֽינוּ כְּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְיוֹעֲצֵֽינוּ כְּבַתְּ֒חִלָּה וְהָסֵר מִמֶּֽנּוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה וּמְלוֹךְ עָלֵֽינוּ אַתָּה ה׳ לְבַדְּ֒ךָ בְּחֶֽסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים וְצַדְּ֒קֵֽנוּ בַּמִשְׁפָּט: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ מֶֽלֶךְ אֹהֵב צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט:
Restore our judges as before and our counselors as at first. Remove sorrow and sighing from us, and reign over us You, Adonoy, alone with kindness and compassion; and make us righteous with justice, Blessed are You, Adonoy, King, Lover of righteousness and justice.
"there but for the grace of God go I" It has also been attributed to a mid-16th-century statement by a protestant, John Bradford: "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford", in reference to a group of prisoners being led to execution. see
Mathew Chapter 7 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Love for Enemies
Luke 6 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
(ד) ... וְאַל תָּדִין אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ עַד שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹמוֹ
(4) Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place.
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.
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.
(ז) ... רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר (ויקרא יט, יח): וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, זֶה כְּלַל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁלֹא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְנִתְבַּזֵּיתִי יִתְבַּזֶה חֲבֵרִי עִמִּי, הוֹאִיל וְנִתְקַלַּלְתִּי יִתְקַלֵּל חֲבֵרִי עִמִּי. אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא אִם עָשִׂיתָ כֵּן דַּע לְמִי אַתָּה מְבַזֶּה בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אוֹתוֹ.
(7)... Rabbi Akiva says: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) – that verse represents the central tenet of the Torah, [as it teaches] that you should not say: Since I have been disparaged, let someone else be disparaged along with me; since I was cursed, let someone else be cursed along with me. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: If you do act like that, know who it is that you are disgracing: “in the likeness of God He made him” (Genesis 5:1).
Hav is the imperative form of the Hebrew root yod-heh-vav, a less common synonym for the root nun-tav-nun, “to give.” (The authoritative Hebrew dictionary HaMilon HeĤadash [The New Dictionary] by Avraham Even-Shoshan [Jerusalem: Kiryat Sefer Publishing, 1986], entry “Hav.”) Among the many examples of this usage in the Bible is Genesis 30:1, Rachel’s emotional words to her husband Jacob, “Give (hava, form of hav) me children, or else I die.”
The same root – yod-heh-vet – is the commonly used word for “give” in the cognate Aramaic language (the authoritative Aramaic dictionary A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature by Marcus Jastrow, entry “Yehav.”)
Riskin, Rabbi Shlomo . Judaism: A Love Story (pp. 42-43). Maggid Books. Kindle Edition.
יְהַב (h. יָהַב) to give. Targ. Gen. III, 12. Targ. Job III, 19 יֵיהַב Ms. (ed. יָהִיב, ed. Wil. יְהִיב); a. fr.—Part. pass. יְהִיב. Targ. Num. III, 9; a. fr.—Imperative הַב. Targ. Gen. XXX, 26; a. fr.—Y. Ber. VIII, 11ᵇ bot., a. fr. י׳ ליה מילא gave him assurance of safety. Ib. יהב את פלגא (read as:) Y. Naz. V, end, 54ᵇ הב וכ׳ give thou half of it. Ib. [read:] אמר דיֵיבִין ליה יַהֲבוּ ליה ואכל he ordered that they give him (to eat); they gave him, and he ate. Kidd. 9ᵃ אי יהבינא לך וכ׳ (read: יַהֲבִינָהּ) if I give it to thee, wilt thou be betrothed unto me? Said she הָבָהּ מֵיהֲבָהּ give it; כל הבה מיהבה וכ׳ all such phrases as ‘give it’, mean nothing (do not mean assent to the proposal); a. v. fr.—נסב וי׳ (h. = נשא ונתן) to deal. Cant. R. to III, 6. Y. Shebi. VII, 37ᶜ top; a. e.—Lev. R. s. 19, v. infra.—2) to put, place. Targ. Ex. XVI, 33; a. fr.—Y. Keth. XII, 35ᵃ bot. אין אנן יַהֲבִין ליה נֵיהֲבֵיה וכ׳ if we put him (his coffin) anywhere, we must put him with R. &c.; a. fr. Ithpa. - אִתְרַהַב, Ithpe. - אִתְיְהַב, אִתְיְהֵיב to be given. Targ. Is. IX, 5. Targ. Ex. V, 16; a. fr.—Kidd. 7ᵃ משום דא׳ למחילה because it (money or money’s worth) may be given away without consideration; v. נָתַן.—[Lev. R. s. 19 … תתיהב דיהבת וכ׳, read: תִּתְיַתַּב … דיַתְּבַת, v. יְתֵב I.]
This idea provides a new meaning to what Rabbi Akiva declares: that the greatest biblical commandment is “You shall love your fellow human being like you love yourself, I am the Lord of Love” (Lev. 19:18). If the essence of God indeed is love, and the essence of love is giving to others, then it follows that every human being created in the image of God must try in some way to help other human beings. This will automatically create a more perfect world in which every human being loves and gives to others. Riskin, Rabbi Shlomo . Judaism: A Love Story (p. 35). Maggid Books. Kindle Edition.
Shai Held: Surely we aren’t asked to love the person who lives down the street (or in some faraway place) in the same way as we love our spouse or our children. So what kind of love is the Torah talking about?
It may be possible for us to love others, but can we really love them as much as or in the same way as we do ourselves? Moreover, even if it were possible, would it be desirable for us to do so?
Emotional Agency The assumption that we cannot control our emotions is almost a truism in our culture. And yet this belief is no less mistaken for being so widespread. In fact, we have far more agency over our feelings than we are usually willing to admit. .... We regularly hold people accountable for their feelings, and not just for their actions. It’s not just that we judge the emotion itself as good or bad; we also blame the person for having the negative emotions and admire them for having the positive ones. .... If you have ever taken a deep breath in order to calm your anxiety, then on some level you do believe (and have likely experienced) that we have some degree of control over our emotions.
If we never did anything to others that we would not want them to do to us, the world we live in would be a far healthier, more just place. And yet this approach to the commandment seems too deflationary: “Love” is taken to refer to action rather than emotion, and what is presented as a positive obligation is transformed into a mere prohibition. Can this really be all “the great principle of the Torah” asks of us?
As Maimonides explains [Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Mourning 14:1.], the principle underlying the commandment is that “all the things you would want others to do for you, you do for your brother in Torah and the commandments.”30 On Maimonides’s interpretation, “as yourself” means not “as much as you love yourself” but “as you yourself would want to be loved.”
Yet people are different from one another, and we frequently have disparate wants and needs.
Held, Shai. Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life (p. 114). Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kindle Edition.
Joh Rawls - A Theory of Justice
While John Rawls's "Justice as Fairness" is a prominent and influential theory, he did not claim to have invented the idea of justice as fairness. Rawls explicitly stated that the concept of fairness as a foundation for justice is not a novel idea, but rather a deeply rooted one in moral and political thought.
The original position, often referred to as the veil of ignorance, is a thought experiment often associated with the works of American philosopher John Rawls. In the original position, one is asked to consider which principles they would select for the basic structure of society, but they must select as if they had no knowledge ahead of time what position they would end up having in that society. This choice is made from behind a "veil of ignorance", which prevents them from knowing their ethnicity, social status, gender, and (crucially in Rawls's formulation) their or anyone else's ideas of how to lead a good life. Ideally, this would force participants to select principles impartially and rationally.
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that proposes actions are morally right if they promote the greatest happiness or "utility" for the greatest number of people. see this week's NY Times: Our Idea of Happiness Has Gotten Shallow. Here’s How to Deepen It. By Kwame Anthony Appiah
Rawls: Not to maximize the good of the majority but to guarantee a base for the least well off. Minimum wage. Minimum safety, basic education.
An "overlapping consensus" in political philosophy, especially within the framework of Rawlsian political liberalism, refers to a situation where individuals, holding diverse comprehensive doctrines (sets of beliefs [even] encompassing moral, religious, and philosophical values), can still agree on a limited set of principles to govern their society's basic structure. This agreement, despite underlying differences, allows for a stable and just political system.