[Avodah] Ramban - Love your fellow as yourself

[Daniel Eidensohn]

I am having difficulty understanding the Ramban's commentary to Vayirka 
(19:18). He starts out saying that the commandment cannot be understood 
literally because the heart can not love another as oneself. Then he 
concludes by saying that this commandment is to remove the jealousy from 
your heart so that there is no limitation on the love you have for 
another person. This seems to be a direct contradiction.

Vayikra (19:18): [R' Chavel's translation]. AND THOU SHALT LOVE THY 
NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF. This is an expression by way of overstatement, for 
a human heart is not able to accept a command to love one’s neighbor as 
oneself. Moreover, Rabbi Akiba has already come and taught, 86 “Your 
life takes precedence over the life of your fellow-being.” Rather, the 
commandment of the Torah means that one is to love one’s fellow being in 
all matters, as one loves all good for oneself. 87 It is possible that 
since it does not say “and thou shalt love ‘eth rei’acha’ 88 as 
thyself,” but instead it likened them in the word ‘l’rei’acha ‘ [which 
literally means “to” thy neighbor], and similarly it states with 
reference to a proselyte, and thou shalt love ‘10’ (him) [but literally: 
“to” him] as thyself; 89 that the meaning thereof is to equate the love 
of both [himself and his neighbor, or himself and the proselyte] in his 
mind. For sometimes a person will love his neighhbor in certain matters, 
such as doing good to him in material wealth but not with wisdom and 
similar matters. But if he loves him completely, he will want his 
beloved friend to gain riches, properties, honor, knowledge and wisdom. 
However [because of human nature] he will still not want him to be his 
equal, for there will always be a desire in his heart that he should 
have more of these good thIngs than his neIghbor. Therefore Scripture 
commanded that this degrading jealousy should not exist in his heart, 
but instead a person should love to do abundance of good for his 
fellow-being as he does for himself, and he should place no limitations 
upon his love for him. It is for this reason that it is said of 
Jonathan’s [love for David] “for he loved him as he loved his own soul” 
90 because Jonathan had removed [altogether] the attribute of jealousy 
from his heart, and he said [to David], and thou shalt be king over 
Israel 91 etc.

*רמב"ן (ויקרא יט:יז*) וטעם ואהבת לרעך כמוך - הפלגה, כי לא יקבל לב האדם 
שיאהוב את חבירו כאהבתו את נפשו, ועוד שכבר בא רבי עקיבא ולמד חייך קודמין 
לחיי חבירך (ב"מ סב א): אלא מצות התורה שיאהב חבירו בכל ענין כאשר יאהב את 
נפשו בכל הטוב. ויתכן בעבור שלא אמר "ואהבת את רעך כמוך", והשוה אותם במלת 
"לרעך", וכן ואהבת לו כמוך (פסוק לד) דגר, שיהיה פירושו להשוות אהבת שניהם 
בדעתו, כי פעמים שיאהב אדם את רעהו בדברים ידועים להטיבו בעושר ולא בחכמה 
וכיוצא בזה, ואם יהיה אוהבו בכל יחפוץ שיזכה רעהו האהוב לו בעושר ובנכסים 
וכבוד ובדעת ובחכמה, ולא שישוה אליו אבל יהיה חפץ בלבו לעולם שיהיה הוא 
יותר ממנו בכל טובה, ויצוה הכתוב שלא תהיה פחיתות הקנאה הזאת בלבו, אבל 
יאהב ברבות הטובה לחבירו כאשר אדם עושה לנפשו ולא יתן שיעורין באהבה. ועל 
כן אמר ביהונתן (ש"א כ יז) כי אהבת נפשו אהבו, בעבור שהסיר מדת הקנאה מלבו 
ואמר (שם כג יז) ואתה תמלוך על ישראל וגו':


Daniel Eidensohn
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