At the conclusion of this Shabbat, we will observe the saddest day on the Hebrew calendar, Tisha B'Av, the day that commemorates the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Theologically, the Chazal (Sages of Blessed Memory), asserted that God permitted this catastrophe because of the sin of "senseless hatred".
The Talmud illustrates the sin with the story of the incident between Kamtza and Bar Kamtza.
There were two people, one named Kamtza and the other Bar Kamtza.
Another person, who liked Kamtza, but hated Bar Kamtza, decided to throw a party and he instructed his servant to bring Kamtza to be a guest.
However, the servant, by mistake, brought Bar Kamtza to be a guest.
When the host arrived and saw Bar Kamtza amongst his guests he angrily ordered him to leave.
Bar Kamtza turned to the host and begged: "Let me remain so that I will not be publically humiliated and I'll pay for whatever I eat or drink."
But, the host refused.
Bar Kamtza then offered to pay for half of the entire party if he was just allowed to stay.
Again, the host refused the man he hated.
Bar Kamtza then said he'd pay for the entire party, if only he wasn't turned away.
But, the host refused and forcibly had Bar Kamtza removed from the premises.
Bar Kamtza noted that present at the party were some of the Sages, and none had come to his defense and/or tried to mitigate Bar Kamtza's embarrassment.
Angry and hurt, Bar Kamtza decided to get revenge, and he went to the Roman Caesar and falsely claimed that the Jews were plotting rebellion against him.
And, according to the Talmud, this was why the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Holy Temple.
The story is a timely reminder to us all.
When people hold onto their senseless hatreds, terrible things occur.
But, the real tragedy comes when good people stand aside when witnessing behaviors that are not morally acceptable.
And, it's not simply big ticket items of immoral words and actions; it's the small acts that begin to rot away at the core of any moral foundation.
We live in very, very challenging times.
Divisiveness and the rhetoric of anger and hate are becoming more and more pervasive. The extremes of both sides are creating a toxic environment for our communities.
But, the greatest danger is those who reject the extremes, but feel unable or unwilling to take a firm stand.
When I was in rabbinical school I had a teacher who routinely preached on the need for rabbis to be "militant moderates", absolutely steadfast in helping to keep the scales balanced between love and justice.
Rabbis may not be able to solve challenges that are at a macro-level of society, but, in their own communities they can pronounce what is acceptable and not, and make a difference.
If we want to live in a civil society that conforms to our goal to "Be Holy", then we need to demand that there is a differentiation between people and ideas.
Speaking with respect is important; listening with respect even more important.
Validating feelings is not agreeing with another, but empathizing with another.
We can love and disagree; life is full of dialectics.
What is paramount is showing that we care about the humanity of another; especially for those with whom we might disagree.
When we hear someone denigrate another, we can stand idly by, or speak up; to demand a distinction be made between people and ideas.
The extremists won't like it, but, ultimately the militant moderate - unbending in their own commitments to the balanced scale of love and justice - will win out.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mitch
