Is such a level attainable? The brothers of Lod certainly had it. R’ Ashkenazi of Minsk undoubtedly attained it. The famous tzaddik of Jerusalem, Rav Aryeh Levin zt”l, related that, in 1929, when news of the Arab massacre in Chevron (sixty-three defenseless Jews, including many yeshivah students from Yeshivat Chevron, were murdered by an Arab mob) reached Harav Kook, zt”l, Rav Kook fainted. After coming to, he cried bitterly and ripped his garments as a sign of mourning. For a while afterwards, he barely ate or drank, and he slept without a pillow under his head. From that point on, old age crept up on him and his health began to deteriorate, leading to the illness to which he finally succumbed. Harav Yechezkel Sarne, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat Chevron at the time, was not in Chevron during the massacre. He related that when he heard of the massacre he was shocked and filled with pain. After all, he had known the victims well. “But I did not faint!” Rav Kook, who did not personally know those students, reached such a high level of Ahavat Yisrael that he loved others as he loved himself. He fainted!

The Torah was not given to angels. Many of us also have the ability to reach such levels. But how? How can we even begin to climb the ladder of true Ahavat Yisrael?

The Medrash in Yalkut Shimoni (Parshat Kedoshim), states the following: “V’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha”—Rabbi Akiva says, “Zeh klal gadol ba’Torah” (this is a great rule of the Torah). Ben Azai says, “Zeh sefer toldot adam” (“This is the book of the generations of man” [Bereshit 5:1])—“This is an even greater rule.”

We can understand Rabbi Akiva’s statement. Loving one’s fellow Jew is a great rule of the Torah. But what does Ben Azai mean when he says, “This is the book of the generations of man—this is an even greater rule?” How are we to understand Ben Azai?

I once heard an explanation from my Rebbe, Rav Kulefsky, zt”l (Rosh Yeshivat Ner Yisrael), to the effect that Rabbi Akiva understood “v’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha” the way the Ramban did. The mitzvah is not to actually love our fellow Jews as ourselves. The mitzvah is to treat them as if we love them. That is, to desire for them only what is good for them, only what we would want for ourselves. To destroy the jealousy within us. That is a great rule of the Torah. Along comes Ben Azai and states that there is an even greater height to be reached. “Zeh sefer toldot adam”—“This is the book of the generations of man.” Why “man,” in the singular? The answer is that we are supposed to look at the entire nation of Israel as one man. If a man’s left foot kicks his right foot, his right foot certainly won’t kick his left foot back. Why? Because he is a single unit. This is the level we are supposed to attempt to reach. If a Jew hurts me, I shouldn’t even dream of hurting him back. After all, we are all one! This, says Ben Azai, is an even greater rule in the Torah, an even greater level to attain.

How can we bring ourselves to such heights? How can we reach the level where we truly view all Jews as one entity? How can we even begin to climb this ladder?

In the introduction to his monumental work, Haemek Davar, Rav Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin, zt”l (the “Netziv”) asks why the book of Bereshit is called “Sefer Hayashar—the Book of Uprightness.” Rabbi Yochanan (Avodah Zarah 25a) said that Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were called “yesharim”—that is, upright individuals. The Netziv asked why were they not called “tzaddikim” or “chasidim”? He answers his own question as follows.

During the period leading up to the destruction of the second Temple, there were many tzaddikim, chasidim, and learners of Torah. But the Temple was still destroyed. Why? Because those who had a certain way of worshiping Hashem viewed others who worshiped Hashem differently as heretics! Deep in their hearts they hated those who did not conform perfectly to their own lifestyle. This led to schisms, arguments, and even murder! These people were not “upright.” In contrast, our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov were not only tzaddikim, chasidim, and lovers of Hashem. They were also upright.