מקדש ראשון מפני מה חרב? מפני ג' דברים שהיו בו: עבודה זרה וגלוי עריות ושפיכות דמים... אבל מקדש שני, שהיו עוסקין בתורה ובמצות וגמילות חסדים - מפני מה חרב? מפני שהיתה בו שנאת חנם. ללמדך ששקולה שנאת חנם כנגד שלש עבירות עבודה זרה, גלוי עריות ושפיכות דמים.
Why was the First Temple destroyed? Because of three things which prevailed there: idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed... But why was the Second Temple destroyed, seeing that in its time they occupied themselves with Torah, mitzvot and acts of kindness? Because baseless hatred prevailed. This teaches you that baseless hatred is equal to the three sins of idolatry, illicit relations and murder.
Rabbeinu Bachya
Baseless hatred is a grave sickness, and it is the cause of all the sins mentioned in the Torah. It causes the hater to utter falsehoods about his fellow, and one who habitually utters falsehoods cannot receive the Divine Presence, as it is said [in Tehillim 101:7], "He that speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes." In turn, prevarication [lying] will lead the hater to concoct a false charge against his fellow and to testify falsely against him … Due to hatred, one will feel depressed over his fellow's success and will rejoice over his failure…
Baseless hatred brings about the division of hearts and makes a person differ with his fellow without any regard to the latter's greater esteem. Instead, all wish to be leaders, and thus their opinions and hearts are divided…
Baseless hatred is a grave sickness, and it is the cause of all the sins mentioned in the Torah. It causes the hater to utter falsehoods about his fellow, and one who habitually utters falsehoods cannot receive the Divine Presence, as it is said [in Tehillim 101:7], "He that speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes." In turn, prevarication [lying] will lead the hater to concoct a false charge against his fellow and to testify falsely against him … Due to hatred, one will feel depressed over his fellow's success and will rejoice over his failure…
Baseless hatred brings about the division of hearts and makes a person differ with his fellow without any regard to the latter's greater esteem. Instead, all wish to be leaders, and thus their opinions and hearts are divided…
(יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃
(17) You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him.
Rabbeinu Bachya
Love is either natural — like the love between brothers, that of a father for his child or that of a man for his wife — or it may be social. For example, when two absolute strangers are together for a whole day, there develops between them a common feeling and determination in all matters.
On the basis of both these types of love, the people of Israel have been called "brothers and fellows." This expression teaches us that one should love his fellow man like a brother; moreover, socially, he should be on good terms with him like a friend. It is thus written: "For the sake of my brothers and fellows, I will please speak of peace with you" (Tehillim 122:8)
Love is either natural — like the love between brothers, that of a father for his child or that of a man for his wife — or it may be social. For example, when two absolute strangers are together for a whole day, there develops between them a common feeling and determination in all matters.
On the basis of both these types of love, the people of Israel have been called "brothers and fellows." This expression teaches us that one should love his fellow man like a brother; moreover, socially, he should be on good terms with him like a friend. It is thus written: "For the sake of my brothers and fellows, I will please speak of peace with you" (Tehillim 122:8)
Tanya (Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi)
What about the statement in the Talmud that if you see your fellow sinning you must hate him and must also tell his teacher so that he may hate him as well? This speaks of your peer who learns Torah and performs all the mitzvot. He did something that he should have realized is wrong, and you rebuked him for it …Let us say, however, that this person is not your comrade in Torah and you are not close with him. In that case, Hillel the Elder instructs, "Be of the disciples of Aaron: love peace... love the creations and attract them to Torah." He is speaking of those who are far from God's Torah and from being observant Jews, which is why he calls them just "creations." He is saying that you must pull in these people with thick cords of love, and perhaps, with all this effort, perhaps you may attract them to Torah and to the service of God. Perhaps you will, perhaps you will not. Whatever the outcome, you have not lost the reward for showing love to a fellow Jew.
This love also applies to those who are close to you — the ones that you have rebuked and yet they have not repented of their sins. Yes, it is a mitzva to hate them, but it is also a mitzva to love them, and both should be in all earnestness: hatred due to the evil within them and love due to that aspect of good that is buried within them. This is the spark of godliness within them, which vitalizes their godly soul...
What about the statement in the Talmud that if you see your fellow sinning you must hate him and must also tell his teacher so that he may hate him as well? This speaks of your peer who learns Torah and performs all the mitzvot. He did something that he should have realized is wrong, and you rebuked him for it …Let us say, however, that this person is not your comrade in Torah and you are not close with him. In that case, Hillel the Elder instructs, "Be of the disciples of Aaron: love peace... love the creations and attract them to Torah." He is speaking of those who are far from God's Torah and from being observant Jews, which is why he calls them just "creations." He is saying that you must pull in these people with thick cords of love, and perhaps, with all this effort, perhaps you may attract them to Torah and to the service of God. Perhaps you will, perhaps you will not. Whatever the outcome, you have not lost the reward for showing love to a fellow Jew.
This love also applies to those who are close to you — the ones that you have rebuked and yet they have not repented of their sins. Yes, it is a mitzva to hate them, but it is also a mitzva to love them, and both should be in all earnestness: hatred due to the evil within them and love due to that aspect of good that is buried within them. This is the spark of godliness within them, which vitalizes their godly soul...
Rav Kook (Middot Ha-Raayah)
Though our love for people must be all-inclusive, embracing the wicked as well, this in no way blunts our hatred for evil itself; on the contrary, it strengthens it. For it is not because of the dimension of evil clinging to a person that we include him in our love, but because of the good in him, which our love tells us is to be found everywhere. Since we isolate the dimension of the good to love him for it, our hatred for the evil becomes sharpened and absolute...
It is proper to hate a corrupt person only for his defects, but insofar as he is endowed with a divine image, this is in order to love him. We must also realize that the precious dimension of his worth is a more authentic expression of his nature than the lower characteristics that have developed in him through his circumstances. It is for this reason that the Talmud (Pesachim 49b) limits the degree to which one may hate the evildoer…
Though our love for people must be all-inclusive, embracing the wicked as well, this in no way blunts our hatred for evil itself; on the contrary, it strengthens it. For it is not because of the dimension of evil clinging to a person that we include him in our love, but because of the good in him, which our love tells us is to be found everywhere. Since we isolate the dimension of the good to love him for it, our hatred for the evil becomes sharpened and absolute...
It is proper to hate a corrupt person only for his defects, but insofar as he is endowed with a divine image, this is in order to love him. We must also realize that the precious dimension of his worth is a more authentic expression of his nature than the lower characteristics that have developed in him through his circumstances. It is for this reason that the Talmud (Pesachim 49b) limits the degree to which one may hate the evildoer…
Netziv
We may explain that during the Second Temple, there were tzaddikim and chasidim, as well as those who toiled in the words of Torah; however, they were not yesharim [proper] in their dealings with others. Due to the baseless hatred in their hearts towards each other, they suspected that those who disagreed with them on religious matters were Sadducees or heretics. This brought them to bloodshed under false pretenses and many other evils until the Temple was destroyed. This is the justification for the destruction: for God is yashar and God could not tolerate tzaddikim like these. Rather, [God prefers] people who act in a way that is yashar even in worldly matters, not those who act crookedly even for the sake of Heaven; this causes the destruction of creation and the annihilation of the world’s population.
And this was the praise of the Patriarchs, that besides their being tzaddikim, chasidim and lovers of God in the most perfect way, they were also yesharim; that is, they conducted themselves towards others, even towards despicable idol worshippers, with love; they cared about providing for their benefit, as that keeps the world in existence. Thus, we see that our patriarch Avraham prayed for the city of Sedom, even though he hated them and their king with the utmost enmity due to their evil ways, as is clear from his statement to the king of Sedom; still, he sought their survival…
We may explain that during the Second Temple, there were tzaddikim and chasidim, as well as those who toiled in the words of Torah; however, they were not yesharim [proper] in their dealings with others. Due to the baseless hatred in their hearts towards each other, they suspected that those who disagreed with them on religious matters were Sadducees or heretics. This brought them to bloodshed under false pretenses and many other evils until the Temple was destroyed. This is the justification for the destruction: for God is yashar and God could not tolerate tzaddikim like these. Rather, [God prefers] people who act in a way that is yashar even in worldly matters, not those who act crookedly even for the sake of Heaven; this causes the destruction of creation and the annihilation of the world’s population.
And this was the praise of the Patriarchs, that besides their being tzaddikim, chasidim and lovers of God in the most perfect way, they were also yesharim; that is, they conducted themselves towards others, even towards despicable idol worshippers, with love; they cared about providing for their benefit, as that keeps the world in existence. Thus, we see that our patriarch Avraham prayed for the city of Sedom, even though he hated them and their king with the utmost enmity due to their evil ways, as is clear from his statement to the king of Sedom; still, he sought their survival…
Rav Kook (in his commentary to Avot 6:1)
The greater a Torah scholar is in his learning, and the more he deserves the designation of a true Torah scholar, the more he is obligated to be filled with a love for the whole world.
The greater a Torah scholar is in his learning, and the more he deserves the designation of a true Torah scholar, the more he is obligated to be filled with a love for the whole world.