interesting idea

[cellio]

This week's parsha (Kedoshim) contains the instruction "v'ahavta l'rayacha camocha", which is usually translated "love your fellow [or brother] as yourself". Rabbi Avi Friedman (Tree of Life, Pittsburgh) points out alternative interpretations. According to this commentary, Moses Mendelssohn argued that "camocha" is an adjective, not an adverb -- so "love your fellow, who is like you". I'd never heard that interpretation before, but it's an interesting idea and it addresses the fundamental human difficulty of treating anyone else exactly as you treat yourself.