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Hidden Connections: Sinat Chinam, the destruction of the Temple and the death of the tzadik.

“However, in the Second Temple period the people were engaged in Torah study, observance of mitzvahs, and acts of kindness, so why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there was baseless hatred during that period. This comes to teach you that the sin of baseless hatred is equivalent to the three severe transgressions: idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed.”

~ (Yoma 9b)

The Talmud (Baba Mezia 30b) states that:

Rav Yochanan said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the judges ruled in accordance with the strict letter of the law, as opposed to ruling beyond the letter of the law.”

* Note: The allegation against the children of Israel during the second Beit Hamikdash era was that they learned Torah with feelings of pride and superiority. This is akin to revolting against the Kingship of Hashem. The Midrash states (Tanna d’vei Eliyahu Rabbah 1), “Good character precedes Torah.” Torah is meant to bring a person to perfect his actions (see Kiddushin 40b). If their Torah study did not accomplish this, they were obviously not learning in the correct way. Instead of according Torah its proper respect by living by its precepts, the nation scorned it by behaving diametrically opposed to its teachings. Therefore, the charges against them were much greater than those against the generation of the first Beit Hamikdash. During the first Temple era, the people neglected Torah study altogether. During the era of the second Temple, they learned Torah, but did not internalize its message.

At the end of the day, those who lived during the second Beit Hamikdash era were involved in Torah study, whereas those of the first Beit Hamikdash were not. How could the later generation be held so much more accountable, immersed as they were in the sea of Torah? How could their Torah study, the potion of life, not rub off on them, affording them the balm of positive character traits?

Am Yisrael’s fault was that they were not careful in avoiding avak lashon hara (evil speech against their fellow man and even righteous ones). Many people fall into the sin of avak lashon hara because it seems insignificant in their eyes. It is man’s nature to become accustomed to sin. The evil inclination is very subtle. Because Israel at the time of the Temple were negligent in seemingly small things, they eventually spoke lashon hara and committed other offenses between fellow Jews.

Secret sparks

It is taught by the Sages that the tzadikim as well as objects are considered holy when G‑d’s presence rests within them. Just as we have awe and reverence for a Torah scroll because of the G‑dliness vested in it, so, too, we have awe and reverence for a tzadik.

One my object, all we need is to focus on Torah study and the mitzvot!? On this the Talmud explains (Kesubos 111b) :

“You should attach yourself to Him, [i.e., to G‑d],” and asks, “How can one attach oneself to G‑d? G‑d is compared to fire, so how can you attach yourself to fire?”

It is explained there that the way to become connected to G‑d is by attaching and connecting oneself to a tzadik. Connecting to a tzadik is neither “un-Jewish” nor a spiritual luxury for a select group of truth seekers; on the contrary, it is the only method prescribed by the Torah to become truly connected to G‑d.

Hence now getting to our initial subject, the tzadik and the holy Temple are intimately connected. Hatred, disrespect of the tzadik is a desecration of G-d’s Name which is intimately connected to the tzadikim.

And so we are taught (Rosh Hashanah 18b) :

“The fast of the fifth (month) refers to Tishah B’Av, for on that date the house of our G‑d was burned. The fast of the seventh (month) refers to the third of Tishrei, for on that date, Gedaliah Ben Achikam was assassinated.... The [latter] day is included here to teach you that the death of the righteous is equivalent to the burning of the house of our G‑d.”

It is an obvious deduction that if the passing of a tzadik is like the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, then the life of the tzadik must also be similar to the purpose and function of the Beis HaMikdash.

It is also taught that during unto second Temple period when Yeshua of Nazareth a holy tzadik lived, he was sold to Rome and killed because of baseless hatred:

“But the word that is written in the Torah must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ (John 15:25; Psalm 35:19; 69:4; 109:3).

The murder and death (silukim shel) of the righteous is very much connected to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. The enemies of holiness understand that the tzadikim, just like the Temple, are the source of our spiritual well-being and must be eliminated.

Rabbi Eytan Kobre explains the dilemma:

“I sometimes try to imagine standing in the Beis Hamikdash at the unspeakably painful moment when the crazed Roman hordes first breached its holy walls, or when a flaming arrow first found its mark, igniting the blaze that would soon reduce Makom Hamikdash to smoldering ash. The true aveilus, of course, is over the complete destruction of the Bayis. But there’s a certain poignancy to that first brazen breach, the taking of a flame to the abode of the Master of the Universe. I close my eyes and witness it, and I cry inside.

If the demise of a tzadik is tantamount to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, then perhaps an assault on the honor, certainly on the actual person of such a holy Jew, is nothing less than a flaming arrow aimed at Hashem’s dwelling place.”

In Midrash Eicha 1:37 explains that the death of the tzadik is even more tragic than the destruction of the holy Temple. This seeming contradiction is explained in Yoma 21b, where it states that the Shekhinah rested in the First Holy Temple but not in the Second. The Shekhinah dwells in the gadol haDor beis hamidrash (his Torah teachings), so his death is as tragic as the destruction of the First Temple (which housed the Shekhinah), and more tragic than the destruction of the Second Temple which did not house the Shekhinah.