Jesus (Yeshua) said the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. He was quoting from the second half of Leviticus 19:18, which says, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (emphasis added).

When Jesus spoke these words, He was speaking to a Jewish man in the first century. His words did not sound revolutionary or new. They were confirmation of already revealed truth. The Torah (Gen.–Deut.) teaches loving God and loving others—and then gives ways to practice love.

A Jewish children’s encyclopedia, My Jewish World, describes Leviticus 19:18 by saying, “This law is the basis for all the other laws which prohibit unfair dealings and the bearing of grudges, and stress concern for the defenseless.”

In the Wikipedia article Jewish Views on Love we read, “One of the core commandments of Judaism is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18), sometimes called the Great Commandment. This commandment stands at the center of the central book in the Torah.”

Jewish sages Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Hillel both taught that loving one’s neighbor was of primary importance. Hillel was famous for saying, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the whole Law. The rest is commentary. Now go and learn.”

Jesus’ ministry occurred not long after the time of Rabbi Hillel, and Jesus would have been very familiar with his teaching. Jesus probably adapted Hillel’s statement when He said, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 7:12).

Jesus was part of a faith system based on the Tanakh (OT) that encouraged study, debate and practice of one’s faith. Jesus never rejected the teachings of the Bible. Rather, He sought to encourage those around Him to understand the truths of God’s Word and incorporate them in daily life.

Loving one’s neighbor can be a challenging prospect. Some are blessed with good neighbors and others…not so much. To truly fulfill this commandment, we need to love the unlovable, angry and difficult people around us, not just those we like.

Please click the following link to read the rest of this month's Israel Teaching Letter. Thank you!
https://www.bridgesforpeace.com/…/love-your-neighbor-as-yo…/