Single Idea 7350

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 2. Golden Rule]

Full Idea

What is hateful to you, do not unto your neighbour: this is the entire Torah. All the rest is commentary - go and study it.

Clarification

The Torah is the collection of early Jewish scriptures

Gist of Idea

The Torah just says: do not do to your neighbour what is hateful to you

Source

Hillel the Elder (reports [c.10]), quoted by Paul Johnson - The History of the Jews Pt II

Book Reference

Johnson,Paul: 'A History of the Jews' [Phoenix 1993], p.127


A Reaction

Johnson suggests that this idea, of stripping everything from the Torah except its basic morality, was passed on to Jesus by Hillel. Suppose you hate Arsenal, but your neighbour supports them, and they just won the European Cup? What should you do?