There has been a great amount of talk regarding the concept of Sinat Chinam: Baseless Hatred. One hopes that the more the topic is discussed people would hopefully become sensitized to the seriousness of hating or demeaning another Jew. Nevertheless, it seems that regardless of the amount of discussion and serious ramifications, this still appears to be one of our most difficult Mitzvoth to fulfill!

For our discussion of Halacha this week, I would like to discuss this concept for a moment or two.

First, the expression, Sinat Chinam is misleading. It seems to tell us that baseless hatred or
hating someone for no reason means to hate someone without a cause. That would lend itself to believing that if one has a reason to hate another Jew, it is acceptable.  However, what it is actually saying is that Sinat Chinam means hating someone without a
Halachicly acceptable reason. What would such a reason be? For the most part it means to hate someone that the Torah tells us is to be hated. For example, hating someone who is purposely, and thoroughly evil or someone who entraps Jews to convert to another religion.
I would say that few of us, if any, have ever met a Jew who it is Halachicly allowed to hate.

On that basis we now can better understand what it means that Sinat Chinam is one Jew hating another Jew for any reason other than one of the rare times that the Halacha requires us to hate a particular person.

Therefore, as Jews wishing to observe the Torah it is expected of us to make a special effort to not hate another Jew and to treat other Jews who may practice or act somewhat different that we do, with proper respect and dignity.

If we ever come across a Jew who Halacha requires us to hate, we can deal with that at that time. Otherwise, we are obligated and hopefully we are prepared to make the effort to love, care for and treat with dignity every Jew we come into contact with.

May our efforts to accomplish this fundamental and important Mitzvah prove successful and bring us all closer to each other and closer to the ultimate redemption.