Topical Bible: The Law of Moses: Taught the Jews: To Love Their Neighbour

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Law of Moses, also known as the Torah, is foundational to Jewish religious life and practice. It encompasses a wide array of commandments and teachings given by God to the Israelites through Moses. Among these teachings is the imperative to love one's neighbor, a principle that underscores the ethical and moral framework of the Jewish faith.

Biblical Foundation

The command to love one's neighbor is explicitly stated in Leviticus 19:18: "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD" . This verse is part of the Holiness Code, a section of Leviticus that outlines various laws intended to guide the Israelites in living a life that reflects God's holiness.

Context and Interpretation

In the context of the Law of Moses, the term "neighbor" primarily referred to fellow Israelites. The command to love one's neighbor was a call to foster community, justice, and compassion within the covenant people of God. It emphasized the importance of interpersonal relationships and the need to act with kindness and fairness.

The broader context of Leviticus 19 includes various laws that illustrate what it means to love one's neighbor. These include prohibitions against stealing, lying, and deceiving one another (Leviticus 19:11), as well as commands to care for the poor and the stranger (Leviticus 19:9-10, 33-34). The holistic approach of the Law demonstrates that love is not merely an emotion but is expressed through concrete actions and ethical behavior.

New Testament Affirmation

The command to love one's neighbor is reaffirmed in the New Testament, where it is elevated as a central tenet of Christian ethics. Jesus Christ, when asked about the greatest commandment, responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, stating: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’" (Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus' teaching highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and underscores the enduring significance of the command to love one's neighbor.

The Apostle Paul also emphasizes this command in his epistles, noting that love fulfills the law. In Romans 13:9-10, he writes: "The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" .

Practical Implications

The command to love one's neighbor has profound implications for daily life and community interactions. It calls for a commitment to justice, mercy, and humility in dealings with others. It challenges individuals to transcend personal grievances and to seek the well-being of others, reflecting the character of God in their actions.

In Jewish tradition, the principle of loving one's neighbor has been a guiding force in the development of ethical teachings and communal laws. It has inspired countless acts of charity, social justice, and community service throughout history. The Law of Moses, through this command, continues to influence not only Jewish thought but also the broader Judeo-Christian ethical framework.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 19:18
You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 22:39
And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Perfect Righteousness was Conferred Neither by Circumcision nor by ...
... they had the righteousness of the law in themselves. ... or for their punishment, as
Moses himself declared ... which might be rendered, "The Sabbaths taught that we ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xvi perfect righteousness was conferred.htm

The Love of God Its Own Reward
... to love his neighbour, very much as Moses told the ... they have tried, however clumsily,
to keep God's law, and walk ... Oh my God, thou hast taught me from my youth ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/the good news of god/sermon ix the love of.htm

The Negative Side
... would be the one place of all others where we should expect to find this taught. ...
Moses Stuart). ... Shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the law and the saint/the negative side.htm

Jesus Discussed in Jerusalem.
... of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. ... on the Sabbath, that the
law of Moses may not ... to Him before, being one of them), Doth our law judge a ...
/.../xvi jesus discussed in jerusalem.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... perfect righteousness; that the only righteousness so taught is that ... to the perfection
of the Evangelical Law, and its great superiority to that of Moses. ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

Rejection of Christianity.
... cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye ... The authority of Moses and the
prophets being established ... for he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/chapter iv rejection of christianity.htm

Sermons on the Card.
... of the commandments that was given unto Moses in the ... Jews and the Pharisees of the
old law, to whom ... Jews and the Pharisees: wherefore Christ taught them with ...
/.../latimer/sermons on the card and other discourses/sermons on the card.htm

Righteousness.
... touched in it that could not be taught infinitely better ... faith in God was counted
righteousness before Moses was born ... be in God is to know him and need no law. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/righteousness.htm

The Precept of Loving One's Enemies it is as Much Taught in the ...
... The Lex Talionis of Moses Admirably Explained in Consistency ... when following the course
of nature, taught in the ... my conduct [4080] according to the law of my ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xvi the precept of loving.htm

Jewish views on Trade, Tradesmen, and Trades' Guilds
... The law of Moses evidently recognised the dignity of labour ... For this reason also
did the law punish with fivefold ... the other; for we have been taught that there ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 11 jewish views on.htm