We are all taught as children that the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of sin’as chinam, or baseless hatred among fellow Jews. I had always been of the opinion that this was a direct punishment from G-d. Hashem looked down on us and saw that we, as a nation, were being hateful towards one another, and as a punishment, He destroyed Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash, and sent the people into exile.
However, the events that took place on Sh’mini Atzeres made me think that the heavenly decree is just the crime and punishment aspect to the destruction of the Temple. Perhaps there is another aspect to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. The question is how did the enemies of klal Yisrael know that this would be the right time to attack? How did the Romans know that Hashem wanted the destruction of Jerusalem? The fact is that they didn’t. They could not have known that the time had come for klal Yisrael to lose their holiest site. What they did know was that the nation that they had always hated was now infighting. They were busy arguing and hating each other. Too busy to notice a storm brewing.
Now this is not to place blame on anyone. And sin’as chinam has a very specific definition. But while Israel over the last few years has had trouble getting a government together, and more recently, with protests against Netanyahu’s policies, coupled with a large number of military personnel refusing to report for duty in protest to said policies, perhaps our enemies took this as a signal that now was a time when Israel was vulnerable.
This is not to place blame on anyone other than the Hamas terrorists who carried out the unimaginable. Furthermore, perhaps these gaps in Israel’s defense were always there. However, Israel’s enemies, and in fact klal Yisrael’s enemies, never take a day off from hating us, and wanting us destroyed, and all they were looking for was a signal, a small inkling, that now is the time to attack – while they are distracted. While they are not paying attention to us. While they think they are so safe that they have time for infighting instead of paying attention to their enemies.
Klal Yisrael was never in a position to be able to keep their eyes off of the enemy. This goes back to Egypt, and it has never ceased to be true. We can never let internal disagreements distract us to the point of understanding that there are those out there who would not hesitate to destroy us if given the smallest leeway. The events of October 7 should make that clear. The fallout from that around the world should make that clear. Here in America, the beacon of liberalism, we are not immune to it. That has become abundantly obvious.
So, what can we do? Many of us have given what we can in dollars to support those in Israel in need. Many have turned to spiritual additions – extra Torah learning, prayer, challah bakes. But at this point, some of us may have maxed out the extra they can contribute, be it time or money. So, what does that leave us with? It leaves us with strengthening our bein adam l’chaveiro. In the past weeks, we have seen a cohesion amongst klal Yisrael, a national unity the likes of which I have not seen since the post-9/11 America. The unity has been astounding.
But it should not stop there. Take this time to repair damaged relationships. That guy who doesn’t include you in activities? That woman who always shushes you in shul? The bully from elementary school? The reverse relationship of all of these? Now is the time to bury the hatchet. Invite them for a Shabbos meal. Call them on the phone and have a discussion. You don’t have someone that falls into this category? Start a relationship with someone you otherwise would not have. It could be as simple as seeking them out after shul on Shabbos.
Our unity should not start and end with our support of Eretz Yisrael. It needs to progress more deeply. More than anything right now, our nation needs unity on all fronts. At the very least, let’s start with the people we know.
Izzo Zwiren works in healthcare administration, constantly concerning himself with the state of healthcare politics. The topic of healthcare has led Izzo to become passionate about a variety of political issues affecting our country today. Aside from politics, Izzo is a fan of trivia, stand-up comedy, and the New York Giants. Izzo lives on Long Island with his wife and two adorable, hilarious daughters.
