(1) The phrase “Love your neighbor as yourself” cannot be meant literally, since man cannot be expected to love his neighbor as himself. Moreover, Rabbi Akiva has ruled that “Your life comes first.” The Torah here enjoins us that we should wish upon our neighbor the same benefits that we wish upon ourselves. Perhaps, this is the reason for the dative instead of the accusative form of the verb phrase; we find the same in “And you shall love him as yourself” (19:34). Indeed, sometimes a person may wish upon his neighbor certain benefits, but only wealth, not wisdom and the like. But even if he wishes his cherished friend well in everything, i.e. wealth, honor, learning, and wisdom, he will not do so unstintingly; he will still insist on a larger share of the benefits. It is this shortcoming that the Torah condemned. Rather, a man should wish his fellow well in everything, just as he does in his own case, and he should place no limitations on his love. Therefore, in the case of Yonatan and David (I Shemuel 20:17), it says that Yonatan “loved him as his own soul,” since he had removed all jealousy from his heart, declaring “And you shall rule over Israel” (ibid. 23:17).
Sanhedrin 45a:8
And if you would say that two forms of chastening, both stoning and humiliation, should be done to her, Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says: The verse states: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), teaching that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Therefore, when putting a woman to death by stoning, she should not be humiliated in the process.
Sanhedrin 45a:13
Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says: The verse states: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), teaching that even with regard to a condemned man, select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Therefore, even though the one being executed is likely to die from a fall from a lesser height, a platform is built that is twice the height of an ordinary person in order to ensure a quick and relatively painless death. The Gemara challenges: If so, they should raise the platform even higher. The Gemara answers: This is not done, because if the condemned man were pushed from a higher platform, he would become seriously disfigured, and this would no longer be considered a compassionate form of death.
Sanhedrin 52a:23
Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says: The verse states: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which teaches that even with regard to a condemned prisoner one should select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. The method of burning described in the mishna is certainly faster and less painful than the burning of the entire body.
Sanhedrin 52a:25
The Gemara answers: Were it not for the verbal analogy, I would say that a death that includes the burning of the soul, but the body itself remains intact, is not burning at all, and that it does not fulfill the mitzva of execution by burning. And if it is necessary to alleviate the condemned one’s pain due to the halakha of “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), let the court increase for him the bundles of branches, so that he will burn quicker. Therefore, the verbal analogy teaches us that even internal burning is regarded as burning, and once this has been established it is taken into consideration that he must be executed in the least painful way.
Sanhedrin 52b:15
The Gemara asks: But say that the executioner should cut him in half [gistera], down the middle of his body. The Gemara answers that Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says: The verse states: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which teaches that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, one should select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Cutting his body in half is not a compassionate manner of execution.
Sanhedrin 52b:20
The Gemara challenges: If so, perhaps it should be derived that just as there, the heifer is decapitated with a cleaver and at the nape of the neck, so too here, murderers should be decapitated with a cleaver and at the nape of the neck. The Gemara answers that Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says: The verse states: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which teaches that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, one should select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Although the type of capital punishment is derived from the heifer whose neck is broken, the most compassionate method of decapitation is selected.
Sanhedrin 84b:13
The Gemara explains: As a dilemma was raised before the Sages: What is the halakha with regard to whether a son may let blood for his father? Is he liable for wounding his father? Rav Mattana says that it is written: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18); just as one would want others to heal him when the need arises, one must heal others when the need arises. It is prohibited for one to do to others only those actions that he would not want done to him. Therefore, it is permitted for one to heal his father even if the procedure entails wounding him. Rav Dimi bar Ḥinnana says: This is derived from the juxtaposition between one who strikes a person and one who strikes an animal. Just as one who strikes an animal for medical purposes is exempt from paying restitution, so too, one who strikes a person for medical purposes is exempt from liability.
Yoma 23a:1
who does not avenge himself and bear a grudge like a snake when insulted is not considered a Torah scholar at all, as it is important to uphold the honor of Torah and its students by reacting harshly to insults. The Gemara asks: But isn’t it written explicitly in the Torah: “You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people” (Leviticus 19:18)? The Gemara responds: That prohibition is written with regard to monetary matters and not personal insults, as it was taught in a baraita: What is revenge and what is bearing a grudge? Revenge is illustrated by the following example: One said to his fellow: Lend me your sickle, and he said: No. The next day he, the one who had refused to lend the sickle, said to the other person: Lend me your ax. If he said to him: I will not lend to you, just as you did not lend to me, that is revenge.
Pesachim 75a:15
The Gemara challenges: Let us execute her with boiling water heated by fire. The Gemara answers: It is due to the statement of Rav Naḥman, as Rav Naḥman said that the verse states: “And you shall love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). When executing someone, select for him a kind death. Even when someone must be executed, his dignity should be protected. He should be executed in the most comfortable way possible.
Sotah 8b:2
And if you would say that two forms of chastening, both stoning and humiliation, should be done with her, Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said: The verse states: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), teaching that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Therefore, when putting a woman to death by stoning, she should not be humiliated in the process.
Bava Kamma 51a:3
Rav Naḥman answered him: And according to your reasoning, let us make the structure a minimal ten handbreadths. Why must it have a height of two people? Rather, no proof can be brought from here, since the reason is in accordance with the opinion of Rav Naḥman, as Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says that the verse states: “And you shall love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), teaching that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Therefore, the structure used for stoning is constructed sufficiently high that he dies quickly, without any unnecessary suffering.
Vayikra Rabbah 24
Another explanation. “May He send your aid from His sanctuary, and may He support you from Zion.” (Psalms 20:3) R’ Levi said: all the good and blessings and consolation which the Holy One will give to Israel in the future only come from Zion. Salvation is from Zion, as it says “O that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion…” (Psalms 14:7) Might is from Zion, as it says “The staff of your might the Lord will send from Zion…” (Psalms 110:2) Blessing is from Zion, as it says “May the Lord bless you from Zion…” (Psalms 134:3) The shofar’s blast is from Zion, as it says “Sound a shofar in Zion…” (Yoel 2:1) Dew, blessing and life are from Zion, as it says “As the dew of Hermon which runs down on the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forever.” (Psalms 133:3) Torah is from Zion, as it says “…for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth…” (Isaiah 2:3) Help and assistance are from Zion, as it says “May He send your aid from His sanctuary…” from the sanctity of the acts which you have done “…and may He support you from Zion,” (Psalms 20:3) from the distinguished actions which you have done. The Holy One said to Moshe: go and tell Israel ‘my son, just as I am separate, so too you be separate. Just as I am holy, so too you be holy.’ This is what is written “You shall be holy…” (Leviticus 19:2)
Rabbi Chiyya taught: This section was spoken before the whole community, because most of the essential principles of the Torah depend on it. Rabbi Levi said: Because the Ten Commandments are included within it: (1) "I am the Lord your God," (Exodus 20:2) and here it is written, "I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:3). (2) "You shall have no other gods before me," (Exodus 20:3) and here it is written, "Nor make to yourselves molten gods" (Leviticus 19:4). (3) "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain," (Exodus 20:7) and here it is written, "And you shall not swear by My name falsely" (Leviticus 19:12). (4) "Remember the Sabbath day", (Exodus 20:7) and here it is written, "And keep My sabbaths" (Leviticus 19:3). (5) "Honor your father and your mother," (Exodus 20:12) and here it is written, "Every man shall fear his mother and his father" (Leviticus 19:3). (6) "You shall not murder," (Exodus 20:13) and here it is written, "You shall not stand by the blood of your fellow" (Leviticus 19:16). (7) "You shall not commit adultery," (Exodus 20:13) and here it is written, "Both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death" (Leviticus 19:10). (8) "You shall not steal," (Exodus 20:13) and here it is written, "You shall not steal." (Leviticus 19:11). (9) "You shall not bear false witness," (Exodus 20:13) and here it is written, "You shall not go about as a talebearer" (Leviticus 19:16). (10) "You shalt not covet... any thing that is your fellow's," (Exodus 20:13) and here it is written, "Love your fellow as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).