Love your nighbor like yourself

[CMike]

Back to Love your neighbor...

This is from the link I want to post some of the points that I found intersting.

Different interpretations...

1) What does it mean to love someone as you love yourself? There are a number of different opinions about this. The 'Tzemach Tzeddek' in his sefer Derech Mitzvotecha offers a realistic and practical explanation of this mitzvah.

Each one of us knows that we are not perfect and that we make mistakes. Yet, we [usually] tolerate our mistakes and imperfections, and we still love ourselves, at least to the point that we do not refuse ourselves pleasures or kindness and self-love. For example if I said something unkind to someone, or did not make a serious attempt at accomplishing all that I was supposed to do today, nevertheless at the end of the day I do not refuse to have desert, or forbid myself the pleasure of listening to good
music etc. Likewise, says the Tzemach Tzeddek, we are obligated to accept our friends with their imperfections and mistakes, and we should not refuse them our kindness and love


2) Hashem wants us to be holy. So we come before Hashem and we say that we would like to be holy. However the 'satan' the 'blocker', comes forward and says that we have no right to be kadosh because we have done this and that and other transgressions. So then we say to Hashem, please let us be close to You in spite of our mistakes, because we really want to be close to You. Please forgive us, please help us fix our ways, fix our wrongdoings, overlook our past and look at us now and look at where we want to be. Otherwise we don't stand a chance at being holy.

3) There is a very nice Chassidic reading of this mitzvah as follows: "V'ahavtah l'reyacha -kamocha ani Hashem." In the same way that you] love your friend, so too I Hashem, will be with you!
Hashem is telling us: if you want Me to overlook your mistakes, if you want Me to love you so much that I should be forgiving and accepting of you, that I should be kind to you even though you are not perfect, then you too must treat your friends this way. If you can do this for others I will do this for you

4) Remember Reb Nachman says 'what is the greatest sin in the world? to take away somebody's self confidence.' That's the greatest sin in the world. "azuz d'kedusha" - [this term refers to having 'holy chutzpah' - the trust and faith that your mitzvot are important and meaningful, no matter what] because unless you have a certain holy self confidence, you can't do anything. now what is (again) the greatest friendship in the world? the greatest friendship in the world is that you give somebody back their self-confidence. but you know how deep this is?

Sometimes you meet people, they're supposed to be our friends, they'll do anything for us,but they mamash take away every ounce of self confidence. I don't want to say anything bad. I've seen husbands and wives, you know, they're cute and sweet but they don't support each other one bit. you know? and then sometimes, you see husband and wife and they give each other so much self confidence

 

[CMike]

You have to be able to forgive if you expect to be forgiven.

Depends for what and if the person asks to be forgiveness.

Not everything should be forgiven.

I don't forgive Hitler.

For being the one responsible for the establishing of Israel?

You are confused.

HISTORY: The State of Israel


The State of Israel is born



On 14 May 1948, Israel proclaimed its independence. Less than 24 hours later, the regular armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the country, forcing Israel to defend the sovereignty it had regained in its ancestral homeland.

In what became known as Israel's War of Independence, the newly formed, poorly equipped Israel Defense Forces (IDF) repulsed the invaders in fierce intermittent fighting, which lasted some 15 months and claimed over 6,000 Israeli lives (nearly one percent of the country's Jewish population at the time).

During the first months of 1949, direct negotiations were conducted under UN auspices between Israel and each of the invading countries (except Iraq, which refused to negotiate with Israel), resulting in armistice agreements which reflected the situation at the end of the fighting.

Accordingly, the Coastal Plain, Galilee and the entire Negev were within Israel's sovereignty, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) came under Jordanian rule, the Gaza Strip came under Egyptian administration, and the city of Jerusalem was divided, with Jordan controlling the eastern part, including the Old City, and Israel the western sector.






The gates of the country were thrown open, affirming the right of every Jew to become a citizen

State-Building


The war over, Israel focused on building the state which the people had struggled so long and so hard to regain. The first 120-seat Knesset (parliament) went into session following national elections (25 January 1949) in which nearly 85 percent of all eligible voters cast their ballots.

Two of the people who had led Israel to statehood became the country's leaders: David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, was chosen as the first prime minister; and Chaim Weizmann, head of the World Zionist Organization, was elected by the Knesset as the first president. On 11 May 1949, Israel took its seat as the 59th member of the United Nations.

 

[Lipush]

You have to be able to forgive if you expect to be forgiven.

Depends for what and if the person asks to be forgiveness.

Not everything should be forgiven.

I don't forgive Hitler.

For being the one responsible for the establishing of Israel?

The one responsible for the establishing of Israel is justice.

 

[The Professor]

A man went to Rabbi Hillel and asked him to teach him the entire torah while he stood on one foot.

Rabbi Hillel said "love your neighbor as you love yourself." Everything else, he said was explanations. Go and read the explainations.

He also said don't do on to others what you hate done on to you (paraphrase)

No offense but when my forefathers were hanged from trees I cannot love that, nor forget.

Rick Ross says: God forgives I dont

Examples of man's inhumanity to man are not supposed to be forgotten. It is a universal truth that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Jorge Santayana).

However, forgiveness is another matter. When you forgive a man for being an asshole, you have done him no favors; instead you have reaffirmed that he's an asshole and you have established that you are his superior. Further, it takes a very strong man to carry a grudge. I have know man who were consumed by hate to their own detriment. If they had their lives to live over, I believe they would admit the hatred wasn't worth it.

I'm a rather simple man, and I can only offer you a simple man's opinion, but if I hated a man, really hated him, I would either kill the bastard or forgive him. Since forgiveness is not a felony punishable by long-term imprisonment, I think I would go that route. Any other choice would hold me captive to hate, putting the object of my hate in control of my life. I refuse to give any man that power over me.

Perhaps you can hate without letting that hatred detract from your life's goals; perhaps your hatred inspires you to even greater efforts. As for me, I cannot function while I am filled with hate. If you cannot stop hating, I hope it does you no harm.