Kapłańska 19:18 Komentarz: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Rashi, Kli Yakar & Sforno

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge” [19:18]. When a neighbor comes to you to borrow an ax or other item, you should lend it to him. You should not take revenge and remember that he did not want to lend you a cleaver, so you do not want to lend him a shovel. You should not do this. You should not say: I will lend you a shovel even though you did not want to lend me a cleaver. Therefore, it is written here, “you shall not bear a grudge.” You should not reproach him about how he did not want to lend to you.¹⁴Rashi, Leviticus, 19:18.

“Love your fellow as yourself” [19:18]. You should love your friend as yourself.

לא תקם THOU SHALT NOT AVENGE — If one says to another “Lend me your sickle", and he replies, “No!", and the next day he (the latter) says to him (the former), “Lend me your hatchet”, and he retorts, “I am not going to lend it to you, just as you refused to lend me your sickle״ — this is avenging. And what is “bearing a grudge”? If one says to another, “Lend me your hatchet”, and he replies “No!” and on the next day he says to him “Lend me your sickle”, and he replies: “Here it is; I am not like you, because you would not lend me” — this is called “bearing a grudge (נטירה)” because he retains (נוטר) enmity in his heart although he does not actually avenge himself (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 10-11; Yoma 23a).