In Pirkei Avot, it says:
Hillel said: Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures and bringing them close to the Torah.
Many people mistakenly read this as saying we need to love our fellow creatures IN ORDER to bring them close to torah.
No, Rav Tzvi Yehudah said this is a wrong reading.
We need to love our fellow creatures because it is an intrinsically positive value. We love them, because we love them. Then, if we actually love them because we love them (and not for any other goal), chances are our authentic love will bring them closer to Torah. If our love is not authentic, most people will see through it, even if we smile all the time and give them lots food on shabbat. If our love is only for them to be religious, they will see through it. We need to love them, because loving them is an intrinsically positive value.
(to be continued ...)
Hillel said: Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving your fellow creatures and bringing them close to the Torah.
Many people mistakenly read this as saying we need to love our fellow creatures IN ORDER to bring them close to torah.
No, Rav Tzvi Yehudah said this is a wrong reading.
We need to love our fellow creatures because it is an intrinsically positive value. We love them, because we love them. Then, if we actually love them because we love them (and not for any other goal), chances are our authentic love will bring them closer to Torah. If our love is not authentic, most people will see through it, even if we smile all the time and give them lots food on shabbat. If our love is only for them to be religious, they will see through it. We need to love them, because loving them is an intrinsically positive value.
(to be continued ...)
