Where Does “Love Your Fellow” Begin

In the last post, I once again used the quote

“Love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

Let’s delve into the meaning of that quote further and see how we can use it as a guiding light.

We are all aware of this cardinal rule “Love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19;18), which is sometimes stated as “Love thy neighbor as thyself”.  It is a cardinal rule, because it is something to constantly have in our thoughts, to guide our actions or words, whether consciously or un.   It is another one of those cardinal rules that needs to be constantly thought of, until it becomes second nature, or as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says, “habits of action that become habits of the heart”.  

Most of the discussions about this cardinal rule centers around what it means to “love your fellow/neighbor”, no matter how difficult it may be.  We all tend to find things about our “fellow/neighbor” that we don’t like, or bugs us.  This teaching reminds us to look for the good in all.

For now though, let’s focus on the “as yourself/thyself” part, which is really where it begins.  If you don’t love yourself first, then your “fellow” isn’t so thrilled with you loving them and your “neighbor” is probably thinking, “don’t come a knocking”!!

 If you don’t love yourself, then how can you love another?  If you can’t see your inner beauty/soul, the true you, how can you see that of another?

How To Love Yourself

To truly love yourself, begin by recognizing and constantly remembering that you have value and you matter.  You are not just matter, it is you that matters.  Never forget that.

You, your soul was created on purpose.  It was placed in your body for a specific purpose.  A unique purpose that benefits all.  It’s a mission that only you can fulfill.  That you are still here, as in alive, is on purpose.  In other words, you are still needed.   As younger people would say, “How cool is that”?

When you truly believe, internalize, and actualize that, you will love yourself and then you can start knocking on your neighbors doors.  They will be glad to see YOU!!

When you believe that you are needed and matter, you will also be better prepared and able to handle anything that comes your way.

 “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” – C. S. Lewis

 “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” – Dr. Seuss

 “We must be our own before we can be another’s.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The worst fault a person can have is to forget his intrinsic greatness as a human being.” –  Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin

When you don’t believe, it becomes too easy to believe you are a victim.  Victimhood leads to depression, anger, and blaming another/others.  It can cause any interaction with another that isn’t what you want it to be, or perceive it, to be taken as personal and negative.  There is no room to see another, just to see what you want to see.  It causes you to act on assumptions.  None, of this lends itself to “love your fellow”.

Victimhood is internal and it can cause the need for external affirmation and going to any length to get it.  Including going along to get along, even when you really know better.

“We don’t always see things as they are, we see things as we are” –  Anais Nin

“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” – Henry Winkler

“Victimhood comes from the inside.  No one can make you a victim but you .  We become victims not because of what happens to us but when we choose to hold onto victimization.” – Dr. Edith Eva Eger

When you truly love the truly you, then you can truly love your neighbor/fellow.  When we all do that, we will have the wonderful world we all truly wish for.

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