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passuk terms the donkey’s owner “the person you hate” the gemara
asks, “And is it permitted to hate another Jew? Does it not state ‘do
not hate your brother in your heart’?!” The gemara responds that the
owner is suspected of immorality and as such it is a mitzvah to hate
him, yet there is still an obligation to “surely extend assistance.”

The question arises that according to the Rambam the gemara
could have said that the passuk was talking about after he has in-
formed the animal’s owner that he hates him, whereupon he is no
longer in violation of “do not hate your brother in your heart.” The
Kehillos Yaakov (ibid.) responds that while [after informing him of
his feelings towards him] he indeed no longer violates “do not hate…”
he will still violate the sins of taking revenge and bearing a grudge –
and the Sefer Hachinuch (238) says this too – therefore the gemara
could only reconcile the passuk by saying it deals with a sinner whom
it is permitted to hate.

Now we can discuss our case:
It is a mitzvah for anyone who has been injured by a colleague –
whether financially, personally or physically – to fulfill the mitzvah to
“thoroughly rebuke your colleague” rather than nursing hatred toward
him privately. He must instead discuss the matter with the offender,
for he may apologize and explain his actions. If his colleague neither
denies having acted improperly towards him nor seeks his forgiveness,
the injured party does not violate “do not hate…” according to the
Ramban and the Yerei’im. According to the Rambam however, even
after rebuking him he must tell him clearly that he hates him and not
continue hating him in his heart, whereby he will avoid violating “do
not hate your brother…” Therefore, before activating his imagination
a person must be careful not to violate “do not hate your brother in
your heart,” which he can do through rebuke and discussion and by
openly informing the offending party of his feelings prior to starting
the treatment.
Now we shall discuss the question in relation to the prohibitions of
“do not take revenge” and“do not bear a grudge.” The Sefer Hachinuch
writes that Mitzvah 241 is,“Not to take revenge, meaning that we are
forbidden to revenge ourselves upon a fellow Jew. For example, if a Jew

182 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein