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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 October 2009
There can be very few Biblical texts so influential and yet so misunderstood as ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ (Leviticus 19:18). In this chapter the various interpretations of the text in the Jewish tradition will be examined in so far as they are relevant to the particular theme of this book, the role of the individual in Judaism.
First to be noted is the plain meaning of the verse, that is, the original meaning in its context. It is astonishing that, throughout the ages, the second clause, ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’, has been detached from the rest of the verse to yield a completely different significance. The full verse reads: ‘Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ The Hebrew is ve-ahavta, correctly rendered as ‘but thou shalt love’; the verse stating that, instead of taking vengeance against the neighbour and bearing him a grudge, one should act lovingly to him. In spite of the fact that he has behaved badly towards you, you should not be tempted to retaliate but should behave decently towards him. Furthermore, the Hebrew le-re'akha really means ‘to thy neighbour’ not simply ‘thy neighbour. And kamokha means ‘who isas thyself’, i.e. ‘as thyself’ qualifies not the ‘love’ but the ‘neighbour’, the meaning being: behave lovingly towards him because he is like yourself, that is, with the same rights and feelings that you have.
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