Love thy neighbor as THYSELF above all
The Torah states "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Leviticus 19:18). This precept is impossible to fulfill if one condition is not met first. One must love oneself first. I knew a man years ago that was in an abusive relationship, being emotionally dependent of his spouse. He had sacrificed his career in order to satisfy the tyrannical needs of his wife. In order to grant her "emotional stability," he was forced to abandon his friendships and desire of being a comedian. He had a knack for entertaining people and received much enjoyment from it. It was his greatest joy in life. During their honeymoon, one of his mentors called his phone. His wife answered the call and upon hearing a female voice she asked, "who is this?" The mentor was aghast upon hearing that her mentee had married without her knowledge. This conversation created strife in the marriage. After months of instabilities in the marriage, the comedian eventually abandoned his career and s
