Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

The negative commandments Lo Titor veLo Tikom are very specific, see 
Rashi's commentary.  Their purpose is to guide our behavior so as to 
achieve a peaceful society.   They do not refer to our enemies at 
all.

"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."  - is just your own idea, which bears no relationship 
to the intent of the Torah.

Shoshanna




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 ¶ "'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

_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew