‘Do no harm” is a part of the oath that doctors take when they become a Dr. But that phrase goes back much further than that.
Christians often relate the story of the Good Samaritan; a story Jesus relates to Luke (Luke 10; 25-37) of which the moral is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. That phrasing leaves a lot of open territory, depending on who the doer is. But even that tale is not the original story…
Long before Jesus came to be the world was filled with Jews and pagans…
One day a pagan approaches Rabbi Gamliel and told the Rabbi that he would convert to Judaism if the Rabbit could tell him all there is to know in the Torah while he (the pagan) stood on one foot. Rabbi Gamliel sent the pagan away.
Not to be daunted by this dismissal, the pagan went to see Rabbi Hillel and again said that he would convert if the Rabbi could tell him all there was in the Torah while he stood on one foot. After a few moments to contemplate, Rabbi Hillel said, “that which is harmful to you, do not to others! All else is commentary, now go forth and study.”
No one knows whether or not the pagan ever converted or went forth and studied, but Rabbi Hillel’s words are filled with meaning and leave considerably less to chance than does the parable in the Bible.
I try to live my life by Rabbi Hillel’s advice – the do no harm part…studying, not so much. Granted there are times that some people can make that advice very difficult. But I have had more than my share of people not following Rabbi Hillel or Jesus and know full well how it feels; and so try to be helpful and courteous; not harmful in any way.
Oddly enough, I learned the story, which is written in Aramaic, in a Biblical Hebrew class.
That’s quite fascinating! Thanks for sharing.