The Enemy From Within: Turning Hateful Discourse into Healthy Debate

Chapter 4, Halacha 2

R. Nehuniah b. Haqanah used to recite a short Prayer when he entered the study hall and when he exited. They said to him, “What is the nature of this Prayer?” He said to them, “When I enter, I pray that I will cause no offense. And when I exit, I give thanks for my portion.”

When he enters [the study hall] what does he say? “May it be thy will, Lord my God, God of my fathers that I shall not be angry with my associates, and that my associates shall not be angry with me [S.H.]; that we not declare the clean to be unclean, that we not declare the unclean to be clean; that we not declare the permissible to be forbidden, that we not declare the forbidden to be permissible; lest I find myself put to shame in this world and in the world to come [for rendering a wrong decision].”

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R. Pedat in the name of R. Jacob bar Idi, “R. Eleazar used to recite three prayers after his recitation of the Prayer [of Eighteen]. What did he say? ‘May it be thy will, Lord my God, and God of my fathers, that no person come to hate us, nor that we come to hate any person, and that no person come to envy us, not that we come to envy any person. And let [the study of] your Torah be our occupation all the days of our lives. And let our words be supplications before you.’"

(17) You shall not hate your brother in your heart; Reprove your kin but incur no sin on their behalf. (18) You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the members of your people. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

But why was the Second Temple destroyed, seeing that in its time they were occupying themselves with Torah, [observance of] mitzvot, and acts of loving kindness? Because there was baseless hatred during that time. This teaches that baseless hatred is equivalent to three transgressions: idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed together.

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Was there no baseless hatred during the First Temple? Surely it is written (Ezekiel 21:17): "They are thrust down to the sword with my people; smite therefore upon my thigh," and R. Eleazar said: This refers to people who eat and drink together and then stab each other through with with verbal daggers!

R. Johanan said: "What is illustrative of the verse, Happy is the man that fears always, but he who hardens his heart shall fall into mischief? (Proverbs 28:14)"

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The destruction of Jerusalem came through a Kamza and a Bar Kamza in this way. A certain man had a friend Kamza and an enemy Bar Kamza. He once made a party and said to his servant, Go and bring Kamza. The man went and brought Bar Kamza. When the man [who gave the party] found him there he said, See, you tell tales about me; what are you doing here? Get out. Said the other: Since I am here, let me stay, and I will pay you for whatever I eat and drink.

He said, I won't. Then let me give you half the cost of the party. No, said the other. Then let me pay for the whole party. He still said, No, and he took him by the hand and put him out. Said the other,

Since the Rabbis were sitting there and did not stop him, this shows that they agreed with him. I will go and inform against then, to the Government. He went and said to the Emperor, The Jews are rebelling against you. He said, How can I tell? He said to him: Send them an offering and see whether they will offer it [on the altar]. So he sent with him a fine calf. While on the way he made a blemish on its upper lip, or as some say on the white of its eye, in a place where we [Jews] count it a blemish but they do not. The Rabbis were inclined to offer it in order not to offend the Government. Said R. Zechariah b. Abkulas to them: People will say that blemished animals are offered on the altar. They then proposed to kill Bar Kamza so that he should not go and inform against them, but R. Zechariah b. Abkulas said to them, Is one who makes a blemish on consecrated animals to be put to death? R. Johanan thereupon remarked: Through the scrupulousness of R. Zechariah b. Abkulas our House has been destroyed, our Temple burnt and we ourselves exiled from our land.

Rabbi Abba said in the name of Shmuel: For three years, the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai argued. One said, 'The halakha is in accordance with our opinion,' and the other said, 'The halakha is in accordance with our opinion.'

A heavenly voice spoke: "These and these are the words of the living God, but the halakha is in accordance with Beit Hillel."

A question was raised: Since the heavenly voice declared: "Both these and those are the words of the Living God," why was the halacha established in accordance with the opinion of Hillel? It is because the students of Hillel were kind and gracious. They taught their own ideas as well as the ideas from Beit Shammai. Not only for this reason, but they went so far as to teach Shammai's opinions first.

Mishnah: THOUGH THESE FORBADE WHAT THE OTHERS PERMITTED . . . BETH SHAMMAI, NEVERTHELESS, DID NOT REFRAIN FROM MARRYING WOMEN FROM THE FAMILIES OF BETH HILLEL, NOR DID BETH HILLEL [REFRAIN FROM MARRY ING WOMEN] FROM THE FAMILIES OF BETH SHAMMAI

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Come and hear: Although Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel are in disagreement on the questions of rivals, sisters, an old bill of divorce, a doubtfully married woman, a woman whom her husband had divorced and who stayed with him over the night in an inn, money, valuables, a perutah and the value of a perutah, Beth Shammai did not, nevertheless, abstain from marrying women of the families of Beth Hillel, nor did Beth Hillel refrain from marrying those of Beth Shammai. This is to teach you that they shewed love and friendship towards one another, thus putting into practice the Scriptural text, Love ye truth and peace.