ואם נחרבנו, ונחרב העולם עמנו, ע ל ידי שנאת חנם, נשוב להבנות, והעולם עמנו יבנה, על ידי אהבת חנם...
...And if we were destroyed, and the world was destroyed along with us, through sinat chinam, we will come back to be rebuilt, and the world will be rebuilt along with us, through ahavat chinam...
(ב) אמנם יש מקום להוסיף ולהסביר, שלא רק המצוות שבין אדם לחבירו תלויות במצוות אהבת הרֵע, אלא אף המצוות שבין אדם לאלוקיו תלויות בזה. זהו בעצם עיקר החידוש שבדברי רבי עקיבא, שכל המצוות כולן תלויות באהבת הבריות, החל מהמצוות שבין אדם לחבירו וכלה במצוות שבין אדם לאלוקיו (מהר"ל נתיבות עולם נתיב אהבת הרֵע פרק א').
(ג) אדם שאינו אוהב את חבריו, את אחיו, את בני עמו, לעולם לא יוכל להאמין בה', וממילא לא יוכל לקיים שום מצווה כפי שצריך. אדם שאינו אוהב את רעיו הוא אדם אנוכי, הסגור בתוך עצמו והדואג רק לתאוותיו ולצרכיו הפרטיים, ואדם כזה אינו מסוגל להרים את עיניו ולשאול מי ברא את העולם, את השמיים ואת הארץ. הרי מי שאינו אוהב את חבריו לא מתעניין כלל בבריאה, הוא מתעניין בעולם רק כדי להשתמש בו לצרכיו הפרטיים, אבל העולם כשלעצמו איננו מעניין אותו, וממילא גם בורא העולם לא מעניין אותו.
(ד) הפריצה מתוך האגואיזם הצר אל מרחבי האמונה נעשית על ידי האהבה. ללא האהבה העולם כולו מצטמצם אל תוך הבועה הקטנה של האנוכיות, שבה אין שום מקום לאידיאלים רוחניים. רק אדם היודע אהבה מהי, מסוגל להבין מהי אמונה. והאהבה אינה מילה בעלמא, אלא מציאות נפשית שבה האדם מזדהה עם זולתו, עד שהוא אוהבו כפי שהוא אוהב את עצמו. ובכך נפרצת מסגרתו האנוכית והקטנונית, והוא מתחיל להתבונן בעולם כפי שהוא באמת, ומתוך כך האמונה מתגלה. לכן אמר רבי עקיבא: "ואהבת לרעך כמוך זה כלל גדול בתורה".
(ה) עתה אנו יכולים להבין גם את המשפט המפורסם של הרב קוק: בעוון שנאת חינם נחרב בית המקדש ועל ידי אהבת חינם ייבנה. מתוך אהבת חינם, יצא האדם ממסגרתו הפרטית המצומצמת אל תפיסת עולם רחבה יותר, כללית יותר, ומתוך כך העולם יהיה ראוי לגילוי השכינה הכללי של בית המקדש.
(2) This is certainly the place to elaborate and explain that it is not only commandments between human beings that are dependent on the commandment to love one's fellow; even commandments between humans and G-d are dependent upon it. This is the true essence of the new idea expressed by Rabbi Akiva, that all commandments are dependent on love of all people, which begin from the commandments that are between human beings and end with commandments that are between humans and G-d.
(3) A person that does not love their fellow, their brother, a member of their nation, will never be able to believe in G-d, and certainly will not be able to fulfill any commandment appropriately. A person that does not love their fellow is an "I" person, enclosed within themselves and concerned only for their person desires and needs, and a person such as this is not capable of lifting their eyes and asking who created the world, the heavens and the earth. Whoever does not love their fellow is not at all interested in Creation; they are interested in the world only to use it for their personal needs, but the world for its own sake does not interest them, and certainly the Creator of the world does not interest them.
(4) The way to break out of narrow egoism to the breadth of faith is through love. Without love of the whole world, one is confined to a small bubble of self-centeredness that has no space for spiritual ideals. Only one who knows what love is able of understanding what faith is. And love is not an insignificant word, but a spiritual reality in which a person identifies with others to the point of loving them as much as they love themselves. And so breaks out of the frame of self-centeredness and small-mindedness and begins to understand the world as it truly is, and from that faith is revealed. And therefore Rabbi Akiva said, "'And you should love your fellow as yourself' is a great principle of Torah."
(5) Now we can also understand the famous statement of Rav Kook: "For the sin of sinat chinam the Temple was destroyed, and through ahavat chinam it will be rebuilt." Through ahavat chinam, a person emerges from his personal and constrained frame to a grasp of the world that is broader, more inclusive, and from this the world will be worthy of a Temple in which G-d's presence is generally revealed.
תָּנָא לֹא לְחִנָּם הָלַךְ פִּינְחָס לַמִּלְחָמָה אֶלָּא לִיפָּרַע דִּין אֲבִי אִמּוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהַמְּדָנִים מָכְרוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ׳ לְמֵימְרָא דְּפִינְחָס מִיּוֹסֵף אָתֵי וְהָא כְּתִיב וְאֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן לָקַח לוֹ מִבְּנוֹת פּוּטִיאֵל לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה מַאי לָאו דְּאָתֵי מִיִּתְרוֹ שֶׁפִּיטֵּם עֲגָלִים לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לָא מִיּוֹסֵף שֶׁפִּיטְפֵּט בְּיִצְרוֹ
A tanna taught: It was not for nothing that specifically Pinehas went to war with Midian; rather, it was to exact the rightful judgment of his mother’s father, Joseph, as it is stated: “And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s” (Genesis 37:36). The Gemara asks: Is this to say that Pinehas came, on his mother’s side, from the family of Joseph? But it is written: “And Elazar, Aaron’s son, took himself a wife from the daughters of Putiel; and she bore him Pinehas” (Exodus 6:25). What, is it not that Pinehas came from the family of Yitro, who was also called Putiel because he fattened [pittem] calves for idol worship? They answer: No; he was descended from Joseph, who mocked [pitpet] his desire by resisting the advances of Potiphar’s wife.
וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל הַשָּׂטָן הֲשַׂמְתָּ לִבְּךָ אֶל עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב כִּי אֵין כָּמֹהוּ בָּאָרֶץ וְגוֹ׳ וְעֹדֶנּוּ מַחֲזִיק בְּתֻמָּתוֹ וַתְּסִיתֵנִי בוֹ לְבַלְּעוֹ חִנָּם אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאוֹמְרוֹ כְּאָדָם שֶׁמְּסִיתִין אוֹתוֹ וְנִיסָת
About this it says: “And the Lord said to the Satan: Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God and turns away from evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause” (Job 2:3). Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Were it not explicitly written in the verse, it would be impossible to say this, as it would be insulting to God’s honor. The verse states: “You moved Me against him,” like a person whom others persuade and allows himself to be persuaded, as if God had not wanted to do anything, but allowed Himself to be persuaded to bring harm to Job.
The verse states with regard to the people's reaction to the testimony of the Spies returning from their reconnaisance of Canaan: “And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried” (Numbers 14:1). Rabba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: That day was the eve of the Ninth of Av, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: On that day they wept a gratuitous weeping, so I will establish that day for them as a day of weeping for the future generations.
(כה) וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃ (כו) וַיֵּלְכ֡וּ וַיָּבֹ֩אוּ֩ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־מִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן קָדֵ֑שָׁה וַיָּשִׁ֨יבוּ אֹתָ֤ם דָּבָר֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּרְא֖וּם אֶת־פְּרִ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַ֠ם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃ (כח) אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃ (כט) עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּ֠י וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וְעַ֖ל יַ֥ד הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (ל) וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃ (לא) וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (לב) וַיֹּצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכׇל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת׃ (לג) וְשָׁ֣ם רָאִ֗ינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ (א) וַתִּשָּׂא֙ כׇּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנ֖וּ אֶת־קוֹלָ֑ם וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הַהֽוּא׃ (ב) וַיִּלֹּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן כֹּ֖ל בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם כׇּל־הָעֵדָ֗ה לוּ־מַ֙תְנוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם א֛וֹ בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה לוּ־מָֽתְנוּ׃ (ג) וְלָמָ֣ה ה' מֵבִ֨יא אֹתָ֜נוּ אֶל־הָאָ֤רֶץ הַזֹּאת֙ לִנְפֹּ֣ל בַּחֶ֔רֶב נָשֵׁ֥ינוּ וְטַפֵּ֖נוּ יִהְי֣וּ לָבַ֑ז הֲל֧וֹא ט֦וֹב לָ֖נוּ שׁ֥וּב מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃
(25) At the end of forty days they returned from scouting the land. (26) They went straight to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, and they made their report to them and to the whole community, as they showed them the fruit of the land. (27) This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (28) However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there. (29) Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.” (30) Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (31) But the other men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we.” (32) Thus they spread calumnies among the Israelites about the land they had scouted, saying, “The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are of great size; (33) we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.” (1) The whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. (2) All the Israelites railed against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt,” the whole community shouted at them, “or if only we might die in this wilderness!” (3) “Why is G-d taking us to that land to fall by the sword?” “Our wives and children will be carried off!” “It would be better for us to go back to Egypt!”
כי פי' שנאת חנם הוא חנם מן המצות. כי אהבת ישראל תלוי בקבלת מלכות שמים כראוי. להיות כל הרצון לעשות רצון אבינו שבשמים. ואז כ"א מבקש עבודת חבירו. כמו מה"ש שנותנים באהבה רשות זה לזה להקדיש ליוצרם. וכמו י' בני אדם עוסקין בעסק א' לא יעלה קנאה ושנאה במה שכ"א מתגבר לעשות בהעסק ככל יכולתו. ואדרבה כך רצון כ"א וא'. לכן ואהבת לרעך כמוך הוא כלל גדול בתורה:
The explanation of "sinat chinam ('free' hatred')" is "free of mitzvot." Because love of the Jewish people is dependent on proper acceptance of the authority of Heaven, to be all that is desired and to do the will of our Father in Heaven. And therefore, all must seek the service of their friend. As it says [in the blessings before Shema, after talking about the acceptance of the authority of Heaven], that "all give with love permission to each other to sanctify their Creator." And just as when ten people participate in one enterprise, no jealousy or hatred arises, because all are strengthened to participate in the enterprise with all their ability. It's the opposite: that's what every one of them would want. That's why "and you should love your fellow as yourself" is a great principle of Torah.
(א) אֵ֠לֶּה הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן לַעֲשׂוֹת֒ בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נָתַ֨ן ה' אֱלֹקֵ֧י אֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ לְךָ֖ לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ כׇּ֨ל־הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם חַיִּ֖ים עַל־הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ב) אַבֵּ֣ד תְּ֠אַבְּד֠וּן אֶֽת־כׇּל־הַמְּקֹמ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֧ר עָֽבְדוּ־שָׁ֣ם הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם יֹרְשִׁ֥ים אֹתָ֖ם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם עַל־הֶהָרִ֤ים הָֽרָמִים֙ וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֔וֹת וְתַ֖חַת כׇּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן׃ (ג) וְנִתַּצְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֗ם וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔ם וַאֲשֵֽׁרֵיהֶם֙ תִּשְׂרְפ֣וּן בָּאֵ֔שׁ וּפְסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם תְּגַדֵּע֑וּן וְאִבַּדְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־שְׁמָ֔ם מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם הַהֽוּא׃ (ד) לֹֽא־תַעֲשׂ֣וּן כֵּ֔ן לַה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ה) כִּ֠י אִֽם־אֶל־הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֨ר ה' אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ מִכׇּל־שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֔ם לָשׂ֥וּם אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם לְשִׁכְנ֥וֹ תִדְרְשׁ֖וּ וּבָ֥אתָ שָּֽׁמָּה׃
(1) These are the laws and rules that you must carefully observe in the land that ה', G-d of your ancestors, is giving you to possess, as long as you live on earth. (2) You must destroy all the sites at which the nations you are to dispossess worshiped their gods, whether on lofty mountains and on hills or under any luxuriant tree. (3) Tear down their altars, smash their pillars, put their sacred posts to the fire, and cut down the images of their gods, obliterating their name from that site. (4) Do not worship your G-d ה' in like manner, (5) but look only to the site that your G-d ה' will choose amidst all your tribes as G-d’s habitation, to establish the divine name there. There you are to go.
בפסוק לא תעשון כן לה' אלקיכם פרש"י להקריב בכל מקום ד"א אזהרה לנותץ אבן כו' שלא יגרמו עונות להחריב בהמ"ק כו'. וכל הפי' א' הם כי ע"י בהמ"ק היו בנ"י בשורש האחדות. כי כן צריכין בנ"י להיות כ"ג אחד בהמ"ק א'. ולכך ע"י שעברו והקריבו בבמות. נתפרד האחדות ונהרס החיבור ונחרב בהמ"ק. וכמו כן ע"י שנאת חנם נתפרד האחדות של הנפשות ונחרב הבית. והכל ענין א'. כי זה בכלל לשכנו תדרשו ע"י התכללות באחדות. כיון שע"י שנאת חנם נחרב. כ"ש שע"י אהבת ישראל יהי' נבנה בעזה"י.
On the verse "Do not worship your G-d ה' in like manner," Rashi explains, "to bring sacrifices any place; or, a warning to shatter stones... that you should not cause the since that destroy the Temple..." And that first explanation is that the Temple served as the root of unity for the Jewish people. Because the Jewish people needed to be a single, great collective in the First Temple. And this is what was transgressed when they sacrificed on private altars. The unity was split and the connection was destroyed, and the Temple was destroyed. And through sinat chinam, it was destroyed, and so through love of one's fellow Jews will it be built, with G-d's help.
On the Assassination of Prime Minister Rabin z"l (November 6, 1995)
...We must fight against hatred. After the murder, we hear many people quoting Rav Kook zt"l, who said that just as the Second Temple was destroyed because of sin'at chinam, so will the Third Temple be built because of ahavat chinam. But why call it ahavat chinam? Are there not many others - yes, even among the non-religious - who deserve our love? There are many dedicated members of our society who certainly fall into that category: members of the security services who vigilantly protect us, boys who give three years to the army, doctors who work for meager wages rather than seek their fortunes overseas, and many others. If someone does not share our religious commitment, it does not mean he has no values, and it does not mean that he has no just claim to our love.
The real battle is over the Jewishness of the State. That is where we must concentrate. Abba Kovner, the poet and socialist leader, once proposed to me to join him in spreading some Yiddishkeit among Israeli youth - I would contribute the Torah, he the literature. One year before his death, he said to me, "We have lost a generation; as far as Judaism is concerned, they won't listen even to me anymore. They associate Judaism only with militancy." In the battle for the Jewish soul of the nation, we have received a stab in the back. Now we have to prove that "derakheha darkhei noam" - "[the Torah's] ways are ways of pleasantness." We must constantly remember that every action, every appearance can - and in our situation, must - be a kiddush Ha-shem. We will increase unity and avoid hatred; we will find the ways to see the positive aspects of every Jew; we will pray to God that he will protect us and purify our hearts from hatred, envy, and slander; and we will continue to build this great undertaking which is the work of the hands of God - the return to Zion - until we witness the coming of the redeemer, speedily in our days, Amen.
Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Job are books in Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. Numbers and Deuteronom are the fourth and fifth of the Five Books of Moses, while Job is one of the ketuvim, writings, in the latter part of Tanakh.
Yoma, Sota, and Bava Batra are tractates of the Babylonian Talmud, the core work of Jewish oral law, compiled ~500 CE.
Orot HaKodesh (early 20th century) is a four-volume compilation of essays containing the philosophy of R' Avraham Yitzchak Kook, first Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel and influential rabbinic thinker.
Peninei Halakhah (“Pearls of Jewish Law”) (early 21st century, issued in volumes over several years) is a contemporary, presentation of practical Jewish law written in modern Hebrew by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Rosh Yeshiva and rabbi of the community of Har Bracha in Israel.
Sfat Emet (19th century) is a Torah commentary by R' Yehuda Leib Alter of Gur, considered one of the pillars of Chassidic thought.
Rav Yehuda Amital (1924-2010) was born in Romanian and immigrated to Israel after surviving the Holocaust. Rav Amital fought in the 1948 War of Independence. He was a founding Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion and a pillar of the Religious Zionist movement.