[maryz]

Or -- for those really in a hurry, we have the story of Rabbi Hillel, who when challenged to recite the Torah "on one foot" (i.e., very quickly), answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength and thy neighbor as thyself. This is the Law and the Prophets. All else is commentary."

[kosta50]

Or -- for those really in a hurry, we have the story of Rabbi Hillel, who when challenged to recite the Torah "on one foot" (i.e., very quickly), answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength and thy neighbor as thyself. This is the Law and the Prophets. All else is commentary."

First, no Jew would ever quote Jesus. According to the Jewish sources Rabbi Hillel said only this: "'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Everything else is commentary."

Second, one thing Christians don't understand about this verse is that it has a very narrow meaning: it was meant for the Jews, and Jews only.

That is obvious from the whole verse (Leviticus 19:18) which reads:

"You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."

The Hebrew term used, rea, means someone close, even intimate, someone who is related (a member of Hebrew nation), not just any fellow human being.

So, when the Jews read Lev 19:18 they don't see, interpret and understand it to mean the same as when you read Mat 22:39.

It may look the same but it's registered as a completely different message.