|
   |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
         |
|
|
|
Hidden Hatred Why was the first temple destroyed? Because of three sins: idolatry, sexual immorality and murder...But why was the second temple destroyed? Because of groundless hatred.... R. Yohanana and R. Elazar both say: The earlier one's (from the first temple) sin was revealed and the end of their exile was also revealed. The latter one's (from the second temple) sin was not revealed and the end of their exile is also not revealed. (Yoma 9b) We understand the part about the end being revealed as there was a prophetic prediction about the duration of the first exile and no prediction about the length of the second. Indeed, we still suffer from the continuation of the second exile. Yet what does this have to do with sins being revealed? Is there some aspect of groundless hatred that lends itself to not being revealed? Maharsha explains that people at the time of bayit sheni pretended to be loving on the outside but stabbed each other in the back at the first opportunity. The sins were not revealed as they were covered up with a facade of false friendship. According to this view, hypocrisy makes the sin much more grievous and difficult to repent from. In our age of advertising and public relations, this call for authenticity should certainly strike a chord. Ben Yehoyada suggests that people were up front about their enmity but did not treat it as a serious crime. What was hidden was the understanding of sinat hinam as a major transgression. People understand that murder and adultery are seriously wrong but often make light of a little communal discord. However, Jewish history has shown the terrible dangers of groundless hatred. With all our internal squabbling, this second message should also hit home. R. Moshe Feinstein (Drarash Moshe 29) explains that the hatred was clear to all but not the groundless quality of that hatred. Both sides of a conflict tend to think their dislike of the other to be fully justified. No one repents from sinat hinam because no one thinks that their sinah is truly hinam. We must forthrightly face the question of whether our strong dislikes are justifiable based on real reasons or due to such poor reasons as feeling threatened, not liking having competition or something as silly as finding another's laugh to be irritating. Only when we recognize the groundlessness of our enmity will teshuvah become a possibility.
|
|
||||
