The Golden Rule

Dear BMC Family, 

Rabbi Hillel, one of Judaism’s most famous scholars, made a bold statement that can be paraphrased as “Treating your neighbor as you want to be treated is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary.” He derived this commentary from this week’s parasha Achrei Mot-Kedoshim, where the Israelites receive the ‘Golden Rule’ of treating your neighbor as you would treat yourself.

One BMC student mentioned that  Rabbi Hillel’s maxim is both powerful, and quite uncharacteristic of rabbinical teachings in its apparent minimization of the Torah’s vast learnings:

“This concept is simple at its surface, but belies a complex and powerful idea. He doesn’t take value away from the rest of the teachings of the Torah, though it seems that way. What he is saying is the essence of Judaism is to love others as you love yourself. It’s a lens that informs the rest of Jewish learning and Jewish life.”

Another student mentioned that Rabbi Hillel’s statement presents a challenge, as “not everyone wants to be treated the same way.” Through further discussion the student expressed perhaps it’s not about specific desired actions to take but about how we engage. 

When we spend a lot of time with others, especially our loved ones, the challenge can become greater. Treating your neighbor as you would treat yourself is not always as simple as it would appear. Perhaps our charge here is to try curious, thoughtful questioning with one another so that we may not only clarify how we would like to be treated, but learn how our loved ones would like to be treated as well.

A major component of our philosophy at B’nai Mitzvah Campaign is curiosity in our students’ perspective, specifically on Torah, its teachings, and the world at large. Curiosity is a pillar of their d’var Torah, the culmination of their b’nai mitzvah ceremony. It’s at that moment where they prove not only can they read from Torah, but they can form understanding and take action from it as well.

Continuing to wish you safety and health, and sending a רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה (r’fuah shlema, full recovery) to anyone currently in need.

For those in our community who have experienced loss at this time, 

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

Hamakom yenakhem etekhem betokh shaar avelay tziyon viyrushalayim.

May Hashem comfort you among the rest of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Shabbat Shalom, 

BMC Team