B"H

Monday, Iyar 1, 5776 / May 9, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR

Today is Rosh Chodesh Iyar – the first day of the new Hebrew month, Iyar.

Iyar is the month between the holiday of Pesach and the upcoming holiday of Shavuot.

Amongst the many commandments in Parshat Kedoshim, which will be read in the Diaspora this Shabbat, the Torah commands us to, "Love your fellow as yourself."

Similarly, in the second chapter of Pirkei Avot, we find instructions as how to deal with others. The sage Hillel said, "Do not judge another person until you have reached his place." One cannot truly judge others unless one is in his/her precise situation, and no two people find themselves in the same condition physically and emotionally. Everyone’s challenges, strenghts and weaknesses are different.

Rabbi Eliezer said, "Let your fellow's honor be as dear to you as your own and do not anger easily."

Rabbi Yosi said, "Let your fellow's money be as dear to you as your own."

The Talmud tells the following story. A gentile once came to the Talmudic sage Shamai with the following request, "Convert me to Judaism on the condition that you teach me the entire Torah while standing on one foot!"

In Shamai's view, the gentile belittled the value of the Torah, for how can one teach the vast knowledge of Torah in so short a time?  Shamai refused his request.  The Talmud states, "He pushed him away with the yard-stick which was in his hand."  In other words, he measured him up and realized that he wasn't sincere.

The man then went to Hillel and repeated his request exactly as he did with Shamai.  Hillel agreed and said to him, "Whatever is hateful to you, don't do unto others! This is the essence of the the entire Torah. The rest of the Torah is commentary. Now, go study the rest of the Torah so you can understand this principle."

Thus, the mitzvah of "Love your fellow as yourself" is not only one of the 613 mitzvot, but it is a foundation for the entire Torah.

"Love your fellow as yourself" - Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov explains this to mean, "just like each person loves themselves in spite of all the faults and shortcomings which they may have, so too, the Torah tells us, to love the other person as yourself - regardless of their faults and shortcomings.”

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

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In loving memory of Jimmy Goldgeier - Yaakov Yosef ben Chaim

whose 14th Yartzeit is today, 1 Iyar.

May his memory be a blessing and may his Neshama rest in peace in Gan Eden.

From his parents, brother and daughter-in-law, Charles, Sally, Dan and Valerie Goldgeier.