Love Every Jew

The observance of the Torah presents different challenges to different people. Although there may be a general acceptance to observe all of the commandments, some people find certain Mitzvot more difficult to observe than others.

The obligation to give ten percent of one’s income, might be extremely challenging to some, while others are able to observe it easily. The same could be said about the laws of Family Purity, or moving to Israel. There are different challenges for different people.

The Mitzva to love every Jew, might be the most difficult of all. Let’s face it, that there are plenty of Jews whose personalities and views, make them very difficult to love.

We are not able to enter Yom Kippur without having made peace with those that we may have wronged. The laws between man and G-d can achieve atonement on Yom Kippur. But the laws between man and man are not forgiven, unless a sincere attempt was made to ask for forgiveness from our fellow man.

We must be able to swallow our pride and be certain that we did not cause physical or monetary damage to another person. And we must not shame them, either.

The laws of the Torah are beautiful and challenging at the same time. But we must at least be focused on correcting the difficult law of being able to love every Jew, by being sure that we have not wronged them. We can then enter Yom Kippur with confidence that we have cleaned our slate.