Every Jew carries within themselves the capacity for spiritual leadership and a deep, intrinsic connection to Hashem. * On Hayom Yom for 12 Menachem Av. by ChatGPT
"Love your fellow as yourself" is an interpretation of and commentary on "Love Hashem your G d." He who loves his fellow-Jew loves G d, because the Jew has within himself a "part of G d Above." Therefore, when one loves the Jew - i.e. his inner essence - one loves G d." - Hayom Yom, 12 Av
The foundational work of Chabad philosophy, the Tanya, illuminates the nature of this Divine connection within us. In the second chapter, the Alter Rebbe expounds on the unique Jewish soul being a "chelek Eloka mima'al," a "part of G d above." "The second, uniquely Jewish, soul is truly 'part of G d above,'... As it is written, 'And He blew into his nostrils the soul of life,' and also 'The candle of G d is the soul of man.' Just as a candle is lit from a torch, so too the Jewish soul is a veritable part of G d above."
The Likutei Moharan by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov expounds on this intrinsic, unblemished core. He instructs us in Torah 282 that, "Every Jew has a point of unique good, a point of truth, which is not tainted by sin. This is the foundation of his divine soul." This truth is unaffected by worldly influences, a pure fragment of the Divine, linking every Jew directly to God.
The Noam Elimelech offers an impactful statement that is highly resonant with this theme. In Parashat Shemot, he writes, "The holy spark that is in every Jew, without exception, is the aspect of Moses that is in each and every one." This implies that every Jew carries within themselves the capacity for spiritual leadership and a deep, intrinsic connection to God.
Lastly, the Kedushas Levi, written by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, places emphasis on the divine essence within every individual. He states in Bereishit, "When one sees the multitude of people, one should keep in mind that every single person contains a world unto themselves... For in each and every Jew, there is an aspect of the divine presence of G d. And when one saves a Jewish person, it is as if they have saved an entire world."
Therefore, loving a fellow Jew, seeing and acknowledging the Divine within them, is indeed an act of loving G d. It's not just a love for their external self, but a deeper, more profound love for their inner essence, their Divine spark. This is the core of the interconnectedness of all Jews, the mutual bond and responsibility, the shared destiny, and the collective pursuit of spiritual elevation. Through this lens, every act of kindness, every moment of shared joy or pain, every connection we foster, brings us closer to Hashem, for in loving each other, we indeed love G d.
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