The Torah states in Kedoshim (19:18) "Love your neighbor as yourself." Rabbi Akiva explained "this is a major tenet in the Torah."
In a midrash we find the following parable of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Several people were sailing in a ship. One takes out a drill and begins drilling into the floor of the ship. "What are you doing?" the others ask excitedly. "Why should you care?" was the reply. "Aren't I drilling only under my place?"
During the "sefira" observant Jews commemorate the loss of thousands of the students of Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud relates that due to lack of respect for each other, Rabbi Akiva's students were struck with a terrible plague. On the 33rd day of the Omer, the plague ended, but 24,000
students perished.
We are all in the boat together. Especially during the mourning period of sefira, let us follow the moral directive of this week's Parsha. "Love thy neighbor as yourself." With unity, love and respect, for one another, we can prevent tragedies and even a plague or a pandemic.
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