The Fourth Untouchable

The Talmud tells us that the first Temple was destroyed because of three sins that the Jewish people committed, Murder, Idolatry and Immorality. The actions of the Jewish people rendered the continued existence of the Temple untenable. The Babylonians invaded, destroyed the Temple and exiled the Jews. 70 years later the Jews were back and the Temple was rebuilt. However history repeated itself and the nation were on the brink of exile, this time at the hands of the Romans. However the sins they had committed were not the same as last time, rather their doom was due to the baseless hatred they had for one another.

The Talmud is teaching us that just as the first Temple was destroyed because of committing the three cardinal sins, weight of the baseless hatred was enough to destroy the second Temple. These sins are equated.

This is to tell us that we must approach sins against one another as we do the three cardinal sins. When it comes down to it, it’s not even a question that we don’t commit murder or idol worship or immorality. They aren’t even at our point of free will. However do we treat our relationships with other people in the same way?

When it comes to speaking gossip of one another or making that stinging remark in the name of banter do we treat it like we would the three cardinal sins? Of course not. But if only we did.

If only we took the lesson of the Talmud and viewed disrespecting one another, hating one another as destructive as it actually is, perhaps we can start thinking about rebuilding bridges, society and the Temple once more.