We continue with the words of the Bet HaLevi, who proceeds with explaining the severity of Sinat Hinam/Baseless Hatred.
He quotes a pasuk in Hoshea, “Their hearts have been separate, now they will be found guilty.”
Rashi says, the greatest peace is that even if the Jewish people worshipped idols, if they have peace amongst them, the Satan does not prosecute. Argument and divisiveness is hated, and he quotes our pasuk.
This is a little difficult to understand. Is God really not going to punish idol worshippers?
Rabbenu Bachye adds a few words to what Hashem is saying,
“..I will have patience with them, I will give them a chance.”
The Shelah HaKadosh, in chapter 26, gives the same message but asks about the wording- why does it say Now they will be found guilty? Why now?
He answers based on a Midrash that says that when Moshe Rabbenu told Hashem not to accept their korban after Korach’s arguments, he added not to accept their teshuva. So the Shelah HaKadosh explains that God doesn’t accept teshuva from someone who is involved in machloket/ arguments.
Therefore, when someone gets along with people and is not argumentative, it doesn’t mean that his sins are forgiven. Rather, it means that he still has the path of teshuva open, and God will have patience with him.
But when a person is argumentative and divisive, his teshuva is not accepted.
The word Now refers to the teshuva, which means they lose their ability to do teshuva.
The Seder Sisfe Sadik, on Parashat Korach, explains that the whole teshuva process works through being part of the Jewish people. If a person is an individual, there is no path for him to do teshuva. That’s why the divisive person is in trouble. It’s not necessarily the divisiveness that brings him down, but rather, his inability to return from his other sins.
On the other hand, God has a lot of patience for the person who is not divisive, although he has sins. Hashem waits for those people to turn around.
This is another facet of Sinat Hinam- a person who is a baal machloket/-an argumentative person has difficulty with his teshuva working.