All Jews recite the Shema before their feet hit the floor every morning, with hands covering the eyes: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one. Therefore, you shall love the LORD your God, with all your heart, all your being, and with all your strength.”
In the reading today, Jesus affirms the great commandment of Deuteronomy. But He does more, as He adds: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Where does this come from? (Leviticus 19:18).
Rabbi Hillel, the Elder would be pleased. Hillel once said: “What is hateful to you, do not do to others. On this rests the whole of the Torah. The rest is mere commentary.” Was Hillel placing the love of God, less than love of neighbor? By no means. Love of neighbor in conformance with the Torah was only possible if one first loved God. Hillel added love of neighbor to the daily Shema recitation, and it became a tradition during Jesus’ time to include it.
The interesting aspect of the Hillel tradition, is that what had been commanded by God to Moses, was modified by Hillel to give it a context for how to live in community. Perhaps the radical nature of adding to God’s command by a rabbi can be illustrated by a person who finding the Our Father as taught by Jesus incomplete, would then prescribe an addition to what Jesus had said. We would rightly say – “Who do you think you are adding to the words of Our Lord?” Yet, Rabbi Hillel did just that, when he added to the Shema.
Rabbinic tradition holds that Rabbi Hillel lived to be 120 years of age. The interesting aspect of Hillel having lived such a long life, is the possibility that Jesus met Hillel when He was left behind at the Temple at age 12. It is recorded that Jesus impressed the elders at the Southern Steps of the Temple.
It might have been Hillel who would have first noticed Jesus was from Bethlehem, the city of the future Messiah (Micah 5:2), and also from Nazareth and would also rightfully be a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:23). This boy Jesus was wise and fulfilled two prophesies that at first blush appeared in opposition to each other. “Hmmmm. From Bethlehem and Nazareth! Could this young Jesus be the promised Messiah?” Hillel might have pondered this while stroking his beard.
From Hillel himself, Jesus might have first heard the Rabbi’s contribution to the Shema – “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and twenty years later Jesus would confirm the wisdom of its inclusion as recorded in today’s Gospel
