Baseless Love / Baseless Hate

Lechatchila Ariber

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 8:05 pm

Ok tachlis! what are we going to do about it.
Its the 9 days now and the time for change is way overdue
First lets think, and take ownership of anything we have done, or any attitudes that we have that are the opposite of ahavas chinam...then lets take action!

How about we all take on ourselves this week to reach out to someone we don't get like or get along with.

If anyone is in a dispute, make a move to rectify it.
make a call, send an email, drop a note in the mail box...something

red sea

Thu, Aug 07 2008, 12:53 pm

This is sorta the bigger version of 'why is the sky blue?'

If its called sinas chinam - is there such a thing as sina thats ok & for a good legit reason? If so, How would you differentiate between the 2. If not then why use the term 'chinam'?

(et fix spelling)

Last edited by red sea on Thu, Aug 07 2008, 12:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

Atali

Thu, Aug 07 2008, 1:01 pm

red sea wrote:

This is sorta the bigger version of 'why is the sky blue?'

If its called sinas chinam - is there such a thing as china thats ok & for a good legit reason? If so, How would you differentiate between the 2. If not then why use the term 'chinam'?

As I understand sinas chinam is hatred for no logical reason whatsoever (such as hating someone who did nothing to you just because you don't like the way he looks or because he follows a different hashkafa).

If someone dislikes someone for a reason (such as disliking someone who stole money from you or speaks to you in a rude manner) that is not considered sinas chinam (although you still shouldn't do it because of the mitzvah of v'ahavta lreicha kamocha and the issur of hating your neighbor in your heart).

TheBeinoni

Sun, Aug 17 2008, 3:07 pm

I was about to start a new topic, but luckily found this one.

Why is it that we make war between different groups of yidden?!?!??! Between diff chassidim. Between litvish and chassidish. Between MO (strict) and chareidi. Between Ashkenaz and Sephardic. WHY?

Can someone please come out and be honest and confess that they feel that the way THEY follow halacha with their personal (community's) chumras and minhagim is BETTER and MORE CORRECT than the way others live their lives???? I would love to hear someone be really honest and just come out and say it.

I know I may be taking this in another direction than Motek had intended but I wasn't sure if I should start a whole new topic..

It is no question because of our sinat chinam, we are delaying Mashiach.

Ruchel

Sat, Nov 08 2008, 12:41 pm

(translation from me, a parasha email I got)

The generation of Noah, the generation of the flood, was full of corruption, perversity and violence between men. 10 generations later, the generation of Abraham, generation of the scattering, built a very high tower (Babel) to defy G-d and deny his existence.

What is worse? defy men or defy G-d? It seems obvious. Still, Noah's generation was destroyed, and Avraham's "only" scattered. Not to mention Avraham's had the warning of the memory of what happened to Noah's.

Rachi explains that the difference is that the generation of the flood practiced theft and violence, while those of the tower of Babel practiced love and brotherhood. G-d can turn a blind eye to the lack of consideration some give him. But he refuses that men destroy the foundations of the world, peace between its creatures. As sings King David, "the world rests upon Goodness". As says Rabbi Akiva, the great principle of the Torah is "love your neighbour like yourself".

Until today Israel isn't fully built back as the 3rd Temple isn't there in Jerusalem. The Baal Shem Tov teaches that baseless hatred (sinat chinam) caused the destruction of the 2nd Temple, and the only baseless love (ahavat hinam) will lead us to the doors of the 3rd Beit Hamikdash soon, to reach the finality of the divine plan for which the Torah was given to men.