The Transformative Power of Empathy

Empathy is the bridge that connects human hearts. It is the ability to truly feel and understand another person’s experience, to step into their world with kindness and without judgment. The Torah teaches us that empathy is not just an admirable trait - it is an essential component of our spiritual and interpersonal lives.

True connection, whether with ourselves, with others, or with Hashem, is rooted in the power of empathy.

The Torah commands us, "וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ" - "Love your fellow as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18). This is not just an instruction to be kind, but a call to deeply connect with others.

One of the most powerful examples of empathy in the Torah is when Moshe Rabbeinu, raised in the palace of Pharaoh, steps out and sees the suffering of his people (Shemos 2:11). Rashi explains that he did not merely look at them - he set his heart to feel their pain.

נָתַן עֵינָיו וְלִבּוֹ לִהְיוֹת מֵצֵר עֲלֵיהֶם

This is the essence of empathy: not just recognizing another’s struggle but making space in our own hearts to experience it with them.

Empathy is often thought of as something we extend to others, but true connection begins with how we relate to ourselves. Many people struggle with self-criticism and guilt, feeling unworthy or inadequate. Just as we comfort a friend in distress, we must learn to comfort ourselves - to recognize our struggles, honor our emotions, and give ourselves permission to be human.

Chazal teach that just as we want Hashem to judge us with kindness, we must strive to see the world through the same lens of empathy. The concept of מָה הוּא חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם - אַף אַתָּה הֱיֵה חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם. - "just as He is merciful, so too you should be merciful" (Shabbos 133b) - teaches that the more we practice empathy, the closer we align ourselves with divine attributes.

The Kotzker Rebbe famously said, “The greatest distance in the world is between the head and the heart.” True empathy requires us to close that gap—not only to understand someone else’s pain intellectually, but to feel it emotionally.