GEN803 What should a person do when he wants to hate someone, as the Torah forbids hating?  How can he or she be around this person and see the object of his or her hatred on a regular basis, and not display this emotion?  The Rabbis, based on the precedent of Abraham, give us one possible remedy. When Abraham saw that his nephew Lot and Lot’s shepherds were acting in an immoral and despicable manner (by stealing the grazing land of others), in order not to come to the forbidden emotion of hate over these actions, Abraham asked Lot to depart from him and gave him the choice of the best lands.  Thus, by choosing to avoid any further contact with these people, Abraham rid himself of his ill feelings before those feelings could turn into actual hatred.  AMJV 130

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GEN819 The very names of the Jews as a Jewish people in the Torah all refer to disagreements and arguments.  The first name describing the Jewish people, named for its founding father, is Abraham “the Hebrew.”  His descendants were often called Hebrews.  Among the various explanations of this word is the Midrash that states that Abraham was called this because of his lone opinion and philosophy of life that [was] different from everyone else’s and [was] not tolerated by the non-Jewish world. Genesis Rabbah 42:13.  He fought for his beliefs and was able to survive even threats to his life.  AMJV 346-7

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GEN901 Th[e] concept – that inviting strangers is seen more important than a private audience with the Almighty – is not only a Midrashic suggestion, but is brought down as part of normative Jewish law, both in Sephardic Kaf HaChaim 5:6 and Askenazic Rema, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 33:1 with Mishna Berurah commentary 8 traditions.   AMJV 160

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GEN972 In pointing to nearly every admirable individual both in the Scripture and in the Talmud, the role models of Jewish life were based almost solely on how they interacted with other human beings, and not on how they interacted with God.  The very first Jew, Abraham, is singled out for being special because he would teach his children (and they would in turn teach their children, until today) about kindness and the importance of justice and righteousness.   This verse is placed in the Torah right before Abraham argues with God about the five cities of evil people (including Sodom) that God was about to destroy, when Abraham convinced God not to destroy them if there were only ten righteous men living in the cities.  And Abraham had never even met any of the people in these cities who would shortly die!   Almost every other leadership figure in the Torah is also described in terms of man-to-man kindness, and not piety to God.  AMJV 155-6

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GEN1012 Remaining different and still loving those who are different is at the heart of Judaism. Perhaps this concept was most demonstrated in the Bible by Abraham.  Abraham’s essential characteristic was Chesed-kindness.  There was one group of people whose essential characteristic was the opposite of Abraham’s, as they were mean-spirited, insensitive, and actually nasty.   Yet, when God wants to kill these Sodomites for their abominable behavior, it is the kind-hearted Abraham who fights his natural tendencies to root out such evil people, lacking any kindness, from the world. Rather, Abraham asks God to let the city’s inhabitants live.   Why? Although these people represented everything that Abraham abhorred, they were still human beings and deserved “tolerance,” even though they were so different and abhorrent to Abraham.   This is the ultimate Jewish tolerance of non-Jews.   AMJV 353

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GEN1085 Prayer that asks God to heal someone from sickness is something desirable in Judaism and can be found numerous times in the Jewish Bible.   … God told Avimelech in a dream to return Sara to her husband Abraham, and Abraham will pray for his recovery.   AMJV 102

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GEN1117 If you hate someone, you should tell the person why you hate him or her and what this person has done wrong, says Maimonides.   Book of Commandments, negative Mitzvah 302.   Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 338 continues this theme and also says that openly stating one’s hate removes any violation of the sin of hatred, which must take place only in one’s heart to be a Torah violation.  However, by announcing his hate, the person does violate the prohibition of taking revenge and does not fulfill the Mitzvah-commandment of “loving one’s fellow neighbor as oneself.” That is why Abraham openly admonished King Avimelech when his servants had stolen from Abraham.   According to tradition, Abraham observed the entire Torah, so he knew that the prohibition of hatred was to keep that antipathy within his heart.   Thus, he told Avimelech about his feelings and explained why he felt that way.   AMJV 129

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GEN1166 The generation of the flood always fought with each other, and there is no hope to build a society once that occurs.   While it is true that the Babel generation sinned and was misguided, a society that can unit has the hope of building for the future and correcting its mistakes. [See also Genesis 11:1 AMEMEI 211]   This may also explain why Abraham sent his servant Eliezer back to his homeland to find a wife for his son Isaac.   Since at that time everyone was not Jewish, what difference did it make if Isaac married a local Canaanite girl or a woman from Mesopotamia?   The answer may be that Abraham witnessed the debauchery and deceit of the people of Canaan, in the city of Sodom, and later, in his dealings with Ephron when he tried to buy a burial plot.   In his homeland, on the other hand, despite the idol worship, there were basically good people who dealt properly with each other.   He preferred a daughter-in-law from this society to help build the Jewish people over the wicked locals of Canaan who dealt treacherously with each other.   In fact, it was the quality of goodness towards strangers that led Eliezer to select Rebecca to be Isaac’s wife. AMJV 160

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GEN1215 When the Mishnah uses th[e] term “hunting,” it never refers to a gun, knife, or weapon to be used to kill the animal, but rather to trapping the animal while it is still alive, especially since killing the animal with any weapon would render it non-kosher for eating.   Mishnah Beitza 3:12.  There is no concept of hunting for sport or killing any animal with a weapon in Judaism.   The concept is codified in Jewish law.   Shulchan Aruch [Orach Chaim 316:2] rules that it is forbidden on Shabbat to “hunt” even a deer (a kosher animal) that is old, blind, sick, or damaged. Rema adds that hunting with trained dogs is not only forbidden on Shabbat, but is prohibited even during the week, since it is a frivolous, non-Jewish activity.   Why is hunting forbidden? Rema, in another of his books, explains that hunting is forbidden, whether the purpose is for “fun” or to sell the prey.  Darchei Teshuva, Yoreh De’ah 117:44.  This is the occupation of the evil Eisav, which show a quality of cruelty in preying on animals and killings God’s creations.   When man curtails life as sport for fun, it is the opposite of his purpose in life, which is to enhance and expand the world.   Not only is Eisav depicted as the classic hunter, but another evil leader, Nimrod is also called a hunter in the Torah and is viewed very unfavorably in Jewish thought.  [this verse].   Sefer HaChunuch [Mitzvah 550] forbids hunting as part of the prohibition of needlessly causing pain to animals.  Hunting also violates the general spirit of Judaism, which is to promote peace in the world.  Gittin 59b.  The most famous discourse on the Jewish opposition to hunting is a responsum of Rabbi Yechezkel Landau (1713-1793). In it Rabbi Landau reviews all the reasons presented above to prohibit hunting.  He adds that it is forbidden for a Jew to hunt because part of hunting for sport involves putting oneself in danger in the forest or jungle, which is forbidden. He concludes that the entire activity is disgusting, cruel, and dangerous, and is utterly forbidden for all Jews.  Responsa Noda BeYehudah Mahadura Tennina, Yoreh De’ah 10.   AMJV 126-7

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GEN1294 Even if [a] person [is] more evil than good, but not so evil that he is a chronic sinner, one still should judge this person’s actions favorably whenever there is room to interpret the behavior as moral or immoral.   Chofetz Chaim, Issurei Lashon Hara 3:7. … Nevertheless, Jewish law says that Jews may indeed judge unfavorably a known evil person. … King Solomon already informed us that when a basically evil person seems to be doing something good, we should not believe him. Proverbs 26:25.   Proverbs also says that a righteous person can recognize the cunning ways of someone who is evil, implying that any good that an evil person seems to be doing is sometimes feigned. Proverbs 21:12 The classic example of this can be found in the Torah when Laban, the father of Rachel, whom Jacob had just met at the well, ran out to kiss and hug his long lost relative.  Rashi explains Laban’s intentions behind each seemingly positive action towards Jacob as a means to find and take any jewels that Jacob might have been hiding on his person.  Once a person or group of people have established for themselves a well-deserved reputation as evildoers, it is very difficult undo this characterization and judge their actions favorably, no matter how good they later appear.   AMJV 206-7

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