And blessings, we continue studying the laws of bloodshed from the book Brit Shalom, in Chapter Five, on proper conduct.
There are behaviors related to bloodshed, even in an indirect way, which are included in the 613 commandments that obligate the Jewish people, and they are also appropriate for every person in the world. One example is hatred.
It is forbidden to hate; it is not good to hate. But what happens if I hate someone? At the very least, they should know it. I am not allowed to hide it. The Torah says: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart.” That is, you may act kindly toward them, but they must know that in reality, you wish them harm. In other words, a person should not hate their friend secretly in their heart without revealing what is in their heart toward them.
So, if someone harmed you and you hate them, then speak to them, explain why they acted this way toward you, and so on. And the best course of action is not to hate them at all. True, they harmed you, but you are not obligated to hate them.
We have a principle from Hillel, who was asked by a non-Jew about the essence of Judaism. He asked Hillel the Elder: “Explain the whole Torah to me while I stand on one foot.” Hillel replied with one thing: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.”
This is essentially a universal principle. Later, philosophers from the nations of the world, such as Immanuel Kant, echoed the same idea. This shows how central it is: what you would not want done to you, do not do to your fellow.
