„Love of humanity requires abundant cultivation, to broaden it to the…”

...a use that is not fully thought out, from the side of the Torah and from the side of conventional morality, as if there were contradictions, or at least indifference, to this love, which must always fill all the chambers of the soul."

The Rav explains that love of humanity requires study and deep understanding against all sorts of superficial statements - statements sometimes based on religion and on the Torah on account of people who did not study sufficiently. According to the Jewish religion, one must love and respect every person as a person, whether he is a Jew or a gentile.

"The most exalted level in love of humanity must be occupied by the love of man, and it too must extend over all of humanity. Despite differences of opinions in religions and beliefs, and despite the distinctions of races and climates, it is right to descend to the depths of the minds of the various peoples and communities, as much as possible, to learn their character and their traits, in order to know how to base human love upon foundations that draw close to practice."

Despite the distance that must exist between Jews and gentiles, out of concern for assimilation, we must know that honor is to be given to every person, regardless of his faith. And not only honor is to be given, but also to learn from their wisdom and their good ways.

"For only upon a soul rich in love of humanity and love of man can love of the nation rise in the pride of its nobility and its spiritual and practical greatness. And narrowness of eye, which causes one to see in all that is outside the boundary of the particular nation - even if it is outside the boundary of Israel - only ugliness and impurity, is one of the most terrible forms of darkness, causing general destruction to the entire edifice of spiritual good, whose light every refined soul awaits."

A person who succeeds in seeing in every person the good spark within him is a person full of good, rich in love of humanity, righteous in love! And a person who sees in another only ugliness and impurity is a person who brings evil into himself, and this harms his soul.

Does this passage surprise you? Do you know other things in Judaism that contradict it? Do you agree with these words? You are welcome to share and comment.