ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns itself with the special status accorded Leviticus 19, called by the sages Parashat Kedoshim, the portion of holy ones. It deals with the rabbinic legal exegesis of Leviticus 19:18, "And love thy companion as thyself". The chapter offers some reflections on the connection between the author's findings and the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:7). Finally, it relates the above to David Hartman's philosophical enquiries. The tannaitic statement is a response to the formulation, "speak to the entire community of the children of Israel". An enormous amount of scholarship has been invested in commentary on Matthew 5–7, the Sermon on the Mount. H. D. Betz has produced an extraordinarily nuanced and exhaustive commentary, patiently reviewing many of the commentaries that preceded his own impressive volume. Hartman has positioned himself in the author's view as an advocate of a law tempered by love and a love disciplined by law.
