translated and presented by Joaquim Martillo
Joaquim Martillo, a graduate student at MIT's Project Athena, posted this to net.religion.jewish in August 1984. He had been reading a traditional Sephardic prayer book — Sidur 'Imrei Fi haShalem im Perush Hegion-Libbi — and found its introduction worth sharing with the network. The passage translates the teaching of R. Haim Vitale from the "Gate of Concentration," explaining why the commandment "Love your fellow as yourself" must be accepted before prayer. The text draws on Leviticus 19, the story of Hillel the Elder, and R. Akiva's declaration that this verse is the greatest rule in all of Torah. It is a complete theological argument: that love of community is not a preamble to prayer but its precondition — and that only through the community of Israel can all 613 commandments be fulfilled.
Traditional Sephardi prayer books typically started out with a discussion of community because Jewish practice is basically impossible without a functioning Jewish community. (This is part of the reason for separating men and women in a synagogue — since prayer and community are supposed to reinforce one another, people should not be allowed to group themselves in families in the synagogue.) A prayer book I like to use, Sidur 'Imrei Fi haShalem im Perush Hegion-Libbi, has a discussion of community in its introduction which may be worth reproducing.
And You Shall Love Your Fellow as Yourself (Leviticus 19)
Our teacher, the Rav, Haim Vitale — the memory of a saint is as a blessing — writes in the introduction of "The Gate of Concentration:"
Before a man performs the order of his prayer, he should accept upon himself the commandment "And you shall love your fellow as yourself." He should love everyone of the children of Israel like himself, because thereby his prayer will ascend as if it were a prayer composed of all the prayers of Israel, and it will be able to ascend ever higher to bear fruit.
Our Rabbis — their memory is as a blessing — said about this commandment:
It is the greatest rule in the Torah, that is to say: "Commandments are many which depend on this commandment. For he who loves his comrade like himself, does not steal from his comrade, will not defraud his comrade of money, will not trespass his comrade's border, does not covet his comrade's gardens, does not delight in his comrade's shame" — and our rabbis say he who delights in the shame of his comrade has no part in the world to come. And if he goes over and is not careful for his comrade as he would be careful for himself, he has negated a positive commandment. And as for him who keeps hatred toward a man of Israel, each and every one who has hatred in his heart has transgressed a negative commandment. It is written: "Do not ever hate your brother in your heart (Leviticus 19)."
He who conducts himself with his comrade as he would conduct himself with himself guards his comrade's money, counts the praise toward his comrade, takes care of his comrade's honor, acts with him according to the way of love and peace and fellowship and rejoices in his well-being. About him the scripture speaks: "Israel in whom I glory (Isaiah 49:3)."
Prayer on Behalf of Another
Our rabbis direct us to accept upon ourselves this commandment before the prayer because in the merit of upholding the commandment "And you shall love your fellow as yourself," our prayer will merit acceptance on account of the fraternal love which is among us. Each and everyone is to pray always for the health of his comrade and his well-being — and our rabbis say, "And Abraham prayed to the most high Lord for every womb of the house of Abimelech etc. (Genesis 20:17–18). And after this is written 'And God attended Sarah (Ibid., 21:1).'"
We learn from here that all who need for income or for healing or any possible request, and knows that also his fellow needs just like him, should pray on behalf of his fellow and he will be answered first.
Hillel and the 613 Commandments
And further everyone knows the story of Hillel the Elder, where a man came to him and sought from Hillel to teach him all the Torah upon one foot. Hillel taught him the verse, "And you shall love your fellow as yourself," because this commandment establishes all the 613 commandments of the Torah including those commandments between man and the Omnipresent.
For example: a priest or attendent or even Israel whose first child is a daughter cannot fulfil the commandment of redemption of the son. Whoever has planted no field cannot fulfil the commandment of gleaning, forgetfulness or edge; and whoever has no opportunity to shoo from the nest can never fulfil this commandment. And indeed there are many commandments which a person alone cannot fulfil. But all commandments are fulfilled by the community of Israel.
And he who hates his comrade cannot combine himself with the community. But indeed through love he is combined with the community of Israel and by this path can fulfil 613 commandments of the Torah. Therefore on the verse "And you shall love your fellow as yourself," Ribbi Akiva said: "This is the greatest rule of the Torah (Palestinian Talmud, Oaths, Chapter 9, Precedent 4)."
Colophon
This text is a translation and presentation by Joaquim Martillo (MIT, Project Athena, Cambridge, Massachusetts), posted to net.religion.jewish on 20 August 1984. Martillo translated this passage from the introduction to Sidur 'Imrei Fi haShalem im Perush Hegion-Libbi, a traditional Sephardic prayer book. The core teaching derives from R. Haim Vitale's "Gate of Concentration" (Sha'ar HaKavanah), with supporting passages from the Palestinian Talmud, tractate Shevuot. The framing argument — that love of fellow is the precondition for prayer ascending on high — is central to Lurianic Kabbalah as transmitted through the Sephardic tradition.
Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: [email protected]
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