WHEN RABBI HILLEL the Elder was asked somewhat sarcastically by a non-Jew to teach him the entire Torah while the man stood on one foot, Hillel gently told him, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the entire Torah, and the rest is commentary. Now go and study.”
Hillel drew his words from Leviticus 19:18 where we are told to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
This precept, also referred to as the Golden Rule, is a central tenet in all faith traditions.
It has been seen as a core principle that people should follow to conduct their lives in a holy manner.
If before taking any action, people would consider whether they would want to be treated in the same manner, imagine what a world this would be.
If we saw everyone we encountered as embodying a divine spark, and created b’tselem elohim, in the divine image, imagine how differently we would treat them.
If we lived our lives according to the Golden Rule, we would always show empathy to others, even those who are different from us.
Empathy is at the root of kindness, compassion, understanding and respect.
It teaches us to set aside our own concerns and show sensitivity to the needs of others.
Nowhere in any cultural norm or spiritual tradition are we told to follow the Golden Rule only when it doesn’t inconvenience us.
Nowhere are we told to think first about our own freedoms before we show kindness to someone else.
All freedoms and rights come with responsibilities, and though we may have the freedom to act, if what we do could result in harm to others, then we must refrain from that action.
There’s no part of loving one’s neighbor as oneself which includes the words, “as long as it doesn’t infringe on your personal liberty.”
The moral imperative in the command to “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” is suddenly not a philosophical ideal when we are faced with a crisis like the one we are now in with COVID-19.
People who follow the medical advice to prevent the spread of the virus are actually following the Golden Rule.
Those who refuse are endangering their community.
For example, when people refuse to wear a mask because they believe it somehow violates their rights, they risk passing the virus to others.
This is definitely not loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
Following the basic protocols explained to us by our medical experts is how we show kindness and goodness to our neighbors.
Dag Hammarskjold once said, “Goodness is something so simple; always to live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.”
True character is shown when we protect others, even if it infringes on our freedom.
God has given us doctors, nurses and scientists with the expertise to fight this pandemic, all of whom are begging us to wear masks, social distance and wash our hands.
These experts have the knowledge and skills to deal with this ever-evolving virus, and we have very simple tools we can use to help them in that fight.
We are not being asked to perform some herculean task in order to save people’s lives.
This crisis gives us the opportunity to live our lives following the Torah’s central admonition of loving our neighbor as ourselves.
We can exhibit the characteristics of kindness, goodness and giving to others that we are taught by all faith traditions. And all it takes is a piece of cloth.
In his book “Day By Day: Reflections on the Themes in the Torah,” Rabbi Chaim Stern talked about the importance of having a giving heart. “As I reflect upon the blessings I daily receive, I think above all that I am called to be a blessing. More than getting, let me give, give with a full heart and an open spirit. Will I not myself be blessed all the more? Giving, I will receive; blessing, I will be blessed.”
Let us be a blessing to our community so that we, too, will be blessed.
Blessed with not only health and safety, but with the freedom to live in a world worthy of God’s promise, in security and love.
Kein yehi ratzon … may it be God’s will. Shalom.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by five religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Suzanne DeBey is a lay leader of the Port Angeles Jewish community. Her email is debeyfam@olympus.net.
