Kedoshim: Klal Yisroel, the Torah, & Hashem: A Singular Unit

Liluei Nishmas Ita bas Chanoch Aharon Bistritzky

In this week's Parsha, we are commanded (ואהבת לרעך כמוך (ויקרא י״ט:י״ח, one shall love their friend as themself. Rashi quotes Rabbi Akiva as saying, "This is a klal gadol" (essential aspect) of the entire Torah. A similar sentiment is expressed in the Gemara in (Shabbos 31a), where a non-Jew approached Hillel and asked Hillel to teach him the entirety of the Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel agreed and told the prospective convert דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד — זוֹ הִיא כּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְאִידַּךְ פֵּירוּשָׁהּ הוּא, (what you hate do not do to your friend- this is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary). While Ahavas Yisroel is certainly an important mitzvah, how can this be described as the foundation for all of Torah, including the hundreds of laws and teachings that do not seem to speak to interpersonal relationships? 

Yiddishkeit recognizes many layers and personal journeys within our relationship with Hashem. On the one hand, our vehicle and access to a relationship with Hashem is through the Torah. The more a person is imbued with Toras Hashem, the more he thinks like the Torah, becomes one with the way G-d sees the world and themselves, and the more they can know and feel divine. However, Chazal also tells us that אף על פי שחטא ישראל הוא (even though one has sinned, he remains a Jew),  indicating that a Jew is connected to Hashem no matter the spiritual level they are on. 

A way to resolve this contradiction is that although we are connected to Hashem on an intrinsic level, as Posuk says (Shemos 4:22), "Yisroel is my firstborn." Just as the way a child connects to a parent, this relationship can, at times, be hidden and needs nurturing. Learning the Torah reveals the special bond between the jew and the divine. For this reason, Rabbi Akiva stated that this is the great rule of the Torah, and the sign of true engagement with the Torah is the revelation of that bond between Hashem and the Jews. When we feel this bond, as Rabbi Akiva says, we will truly "Love one's friend as themself," as it reveals not only the relationship of the jew and G-d but also the relationship we share. 

With this understanding, we can understand both Hillel and Rebbi Akiva. The message is to recognize that the true mark of the Torah is to reveal the inner bond between Hashem, the Bnei Yisroel, and the Torah. By strengthening the bond among any part of that unit, you can recognize the true message behind all the mitzvos that we do.