10 Points About the Mitzvah of 'Loving Your Fellow Jew'

1. The mitzvah of 'loving your fellow Jew' is one of the central commandments in the Torah. According to the Tanna Rabbi Akiva, this mitzvah is a general and fundamental principle in the Torah of Israel, and he defines it as "a great principle in the Torah."

2. "Can you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot?" a gentile asked Hillel the Elder. In response, Hillel said the famous statement: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow – that is the entire Torah."

3. Maimonides, in his Book of Commandments, lists the mitzvah of loving your fellow Jew as one of the positive commandments, stating: "To love every person of the covenant, as it is said, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

4. In the Laws of Character Traits, Maimonides writes: "It is a commandment for every person to love each and every Jew as himself, as it is said, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Therefore, one should speak praise of others and be concerned about their money, just as one is concerned about his own money and desires his own honor, and one who honors himself through the disgrace of others has no portion in the World to Come. (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Character Traits 6:3).

5. In Mishneh Torah, Maimonides rules: There is a rabbinic positive commandment to perform "acts of kindness with one's body, which have no measure, to visit the sick, to comfort mourners, to accompany the dead, to bring in the bride, to escort guests, and to engage in all burial needs, to carry on the shoulder, to walk before him, to eulogize, to dig, and to bury; and also to bring joy to the groom and bride, and to assist them in all their needs." Likewise, Maimonides rules that one who could have redeemed a captive but did not do so transgresses, among other things, the commandment of 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

6. In the Hasidic movement, the mitzvah of loving your fellow Jew is one of the important foundations. The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Hasidic movement, pointed to the essence of the mitzvah of loving your fellow Jew as a command to love every Jew for their soul, regardless of their shortcomings and flaws.

Our great Hasidic leaders connect the importance contained in loving your fellow Jew to the commandment of loving Hashem, since love includes loving those who are loved by the beloved. Since Hashem loves the people of Israel, they must therefore love one another.

7. Why love? The true reason for loving your fellow Jew is hidden within every Jew, in their soul. Every Jew is a child of Hashem, born with a pure divine soul. Even when their behavior does not align with Hashem's will – deep inside, the Jew remains connected with Hashem. As the sages say: "A Jew, even though he has sinned, remains a Jew." In the moment of truth, this Jewish spark will reveal itself in all its glory.

8. Whom to love? At first thought, there is reason to love only good and upright people. However, since love for a Jew is not related to their actions, but to their soul – there is no difference between a righteous person and a wicked one, as both are Jews and both have a divine soul. Therefore, one must love every Jew as they are, as the Maggid of Mezeritch said: "Loving your fellow Jew means loving a completely wicked person like a completely righteous person."

9. How to love? When you truly love someone, you do everything for them, without limitation and without conditions.

10. The author of 'Chiddushei HaRim' used to say that during the days of the Omer count, everyone should correct their character traits, for 'derech eretz (proper conduct) precedes Torah.' It follows that in these days, before receiving the Torah, one must correct their 'derech eretz' – meaning, acquiring good character traits, and thus we will merit to receive the Torah.