…V’chai achikha imakh.
…And
your brother shall live with you.
A man once came
to Shammai and said, “Teach me the Torah while I stand on one foot, and I will
convert.” Shammai chased him away. The same man then went to Hillel and said,
“Teach me the Torah while I stand on one foot, and I will convert.” Hillel
responded, “That which is hateful to you do not do to your neighbour. The rest is commentary. Now, go and learn.”
Hillel made a good
point. His “golden rule” has been
adapted by religions around the world. But I would argue that this, v’chai
achikha imakh, and your brother shall live with
you, is a better explanation of Torah.
Beginning with lo
tov heyot haAdam l’vado, it is not good for Adam to
be alone, in Breishit, the Torah teaches us both to live in community and how
we should do that.
Chai achikha
imakh, your brother shall live with you. This idea
goes beyond humanity. Even the
earth is wrapped up within it.
From the shmittah year’s release of slaves and loans to homes and land,
everything we do, everything we are gets its meaning from this phrase, from how
we live with others.
This is not
just a statement about community.
It is a statement about each of us. Chai achikha imakh. Imakh, with you, it is not only our
place to care for others, but for ourselves. If we do not first do this, we will be unable to care for
others and unable to care for the community and the world.
Hillel summed
this up in another of his famous statements. Im ain ani li mi li? If I am not for myself who will be for me? Ukhshe’ani l’atzmi mah
ani? When I am only for myself what am I? V’im
lo akhshav eimatai? And if not now, when? This balance is the meaning of living
together with our brothers.
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