3. Loving Your Fellow: Machshavah

Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchot Bein Adam L’Chaveiro

Rabbi Akiva famously says that the mitzvah of loving your fellow like yourself is “a great principle in the Torah.” One of the explanations for this idea is given by the Chazon Ish (Pe’er HaDor 4:156) as follows: Envy and jealousy of others often causes a person to become upset and lead him or her to violate many other different prohibitions (not just those of bein adam l’chaveiro). If a person can train themselves to love others, even those with whom one does not share a particularly positive relationship, they will succeed in keeping other areas of the Torah as well.

The Chazon Ish further explained that a person who is willing to forego their own desires or rights for the benefit of another will also be capable of foregoing those same desires to serve Hashem. 

The Arizal recommends declaring every morning that one is prepared to fulfill the mitzvah of loving others. We should encourage ourselves on a daily basis to truly be ready and willing to help others even at our own expense. In that merit, may we achieve greater levels of growth in our overall mitzvah observance and greater happiness in our lives.