Leviticus 19:13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Matthew 5:43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mark 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Biblical commentaries struggle to understand the phrase “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Human beings are egocentric by nature and are preoccupied with their own existence. The commitment to help another person, to give of one’s time and energy, demands an enormous amount of self-sacrifice. it is not easy to tear oneself away from one’s personal interests. even in more refined pursuits, a person is usually quite self-absorbed. The study of Torah is neverending; the obligation to raise one’s own spirutal level is unlimited.
Nevertheless, true involvement with our fellow Christian demands much more than the mere sharing of time or knowledge; we ar in essence investing in a person on an emotional level. His joy is our joy, his anguish is our anguish, and the travails of his soul are our travails. How, therefore, is it possible to put our own interests to the side to the extent that someone else assumes equal importance – to love another person as yourself?
The Torah also commands us to “love” every other person as yourself.” How is it possible for God to command an emotion? If we were asked to show respect, or even kindness, this commandment would be easier to follow. How, though, can a person force him or herself to feel an emotion at will? There are some people we like and some people we don’t like.