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KOSHER DELIGHT - YOUR JEWISH ONLINE MAGAZINE!
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KD
MAGAZINE!
ב"ה
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PARSHAT BEREISHIT |
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G-d's Image
By Rabbi Chaim Lobel
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“This is
the account of the descendants of Adam - On the day of G-d's
creating Man, He (G-d) made him in the likeness of G-d
(Genesis 5:1).”
“Love thy
neighbor as yourself” Rebbe Akiva says. “This is a great
rule in the Torah.” Ben Azai says, “This is the accounts of
the descendants of Adam . . . is even a greater rule.” Rebbe
Akiva's verse only says, one should not do onto his neighbor
what he does not like. What if one does not care for his own
honor? Then, maybe Rebbe Akiva's rule would not apply. Ben
Azai's verse says that even if one does not like himself he
must still love his neighbor because he was created in
likeness of G-d, G-d's image. (Daas Zekeinim Genesis 5:1)
Even if a
person can’t see the beauty within himself, he may still be
able to recognize the positive virtues in others because
they were created in G-d's image. That one fact could help
someone love humanity and his neighbor.
And just
as a person can recognize that others were created in G-d’s
image, so, too, can he learn to appreciate that he was
created in G-d’s image as well.
We can
uplift ourselves by seeing how special our neighbors are.
Shabbat
Shalom
Last
Year's Dvar Torah can be found at:
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Rabbi Chaim Lobel is the
Rabbi of Young Israel of Aberdeen, Congregation Bet Tefilah,
Aberdeen, NJ.
http://www.yiaberdeen.com/index.html |
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KOSHER DELIGHT MAGAZINE
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