To love other Jews

Love – אַהֲבָה

• Rambam (Hilchot De’ot 6:3) teaches that love for one’s fellow requires concern for their welfare, honor, and property as if they were one’s own. Sefer HaChinuch (243) stresses this love is foundational to peace in Israel. Talmud (Shabbat 31a) makes it the essence of Torah, while Rashi (Lev. 19:18) explains it demands seeking the good for others in equal measure as oneself.

Kindness – חֶסֶד

• Midrash (Sifrei Kedoshim §4) connects this mitzvah to acts of chesed: visiting the sick, comforting mourners, and giving tzedakah. Rambam notes that such actions are practical expressions of love. Talmud (Sotah 14a) lists Hashem’s deeds of kindness as the model for human kindness, showing that loving others is fulfilled through tangible acts.

Compassion – רַחֲמִים

• Ramban (Lev. 19:18) frames the mitzvah as eliminating jealousy and resentment, cultivating compassion for others’ needs. Midrash Tanchuma (Nitzavim §1) adds that compassion stems from seeing every Jew as part of one body; their pain is our own. Sefer HaChinuch explains that compassion reinforces social harmony, ensuring the nation reflects Hashem’s merciful qualities.

Justice – צֶדֶק

• Rashi and Rambam both note that true love requires fairness in judgment — one cannot claim to love while dealing unjustly. Talmud (Sanhedrin 45b) connects the mitzvah to righteous judgment, since justice for one’s fellow is love in action. Ramban explains that the verse ends with “Ani Hashem” to stress that justice is an expression of loyalty to Hashem.

Humility – עֲנָוָה

• The Talmud (Avot 2:4) teaches, “Do not judge your fellow until you have stood in his place,” linking humility with love. Rambam (De’ot 6:3) highlights that arrogance is incompatible with this mitzvah, for only humility allows one to value others equally. Midrash Rabbah (Lev. 9:9) shows that Hashem elevates the humble, teaching Israel to treat each other with humility as the root of love.

Community – קְהִלָּה

• Sefer HaChinuch (243) states that this mitzvah is essential to building a united community, without which Divine blessing cannot rest. Midrash Tanchuma (Nitzavim §1) likens Israel to one body, meaning each Jew’s welfare strengthens the whole kehilla. Talmud (Bava Batra 10a) says the mitzvah ensures that the community mirrors Hashem’s unity.

Bein Adam L’Chavero – בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ

• Rambam (Hilchot Avel 14:1) connects this mitzvah to communal obligations like visiting the sick and burying the dead, which are interpersonal expressions of love. Talmud (Arachin 16b) notes that rebuke and love must go hand-in-hand, showing love is not sentimental but covenantal. Ramban stresses that loving one’s fellow purifies social bonds, fulfilling Bein Adam L’Chavero.

Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם

• Midrash (Sifra Kedoshim §4) teaches that love for others is love for Hashem, since every Jew bears His image. Rambam (Hilchot De’ot 6:3) adds that love of Hashem is magnified when Israel demonstrates love toward one another, for it reflects His unity in creation. Ramban explains that this mitzvah anchors worship of Hashem in ethical life, making Bein Adam L’Makom inseparable from Bein Adam L’Chavero.