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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Fw: Human Sacrifice - Semantic Domain
  • Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 09:03:50 -0500

Dear Shoshanna,

G-d never commanded us, in the Torah, to love our enemies.

HH: The Torah does not directly command one to love his enemies, nor was it really understood that way, it seems, based on the Psalms with their imprecations (which call for God's vengeance on sinners), but it could be understood to imply that:

Lev. 19:18 ΒΆ "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

HH: The law concerns fellow Israelites, but we know that Israelites could have one another as enemies, since we read about it in the historical books. A person from who you want to get revenge or against whom you are tempted to bear a grudge is someone who could be put in the category of an "enemy." A neighbor is simply someone who lives near you, with no necessary implications of friendship, other than God's expectation that you show love to him.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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