This is our final class before Tisha B’Av. The Gemarah in Masechet Yoma (9b) tells us that the first Bet HaMikdash was destroyed for the three cardinal sins: idolatry, adultery and murder. During the times of the second Bet HaMikdash, they were learning Torah and they were involved and hessed, so why was the second Bet HaMikdash destroyed? Because of Sinat Hinam/baseless hatred. The Gemarah points out that this shows us that Sinat Hinam is worse than the three cardinal sins. It continues, saying that during the times of the first Bet HaMikdash, “They were wicked, but they relied and depended on Hashem.”
Furthermore, was announced that the exile after the first Bet Mikdash would last for 70 years. But we still don’t know how long the second Bet HaMikdash’s exile will last.
Why is that?
Because for the first Bet Mikdash, their sins were out in the open, but their insides were pure.
Regarding the second Bet HaMikdash, their sins were internal.
Sometimes a person has a very bad rash, that looks disgusting, and yet they are very healthy. On the other hand, you can have a person who is the picture of health, yet internally, he has a dreaded disease, and his days are numbered.
How do we know which sin was truly worse? Because the first Bet HaMikdash was rebuilt, while we are still waiting for the second one to be rebuilt.
What does it mean that during the times of the first Bet Hamikdash, they relied on Hashem, but during the second one, they did not?
The Gaon Of Vilna says that when a person has the middah of Bitachon, he is clean of jealousy and hatred. So if they had Sinat Hinam during the times of the second Bet HaMikdash, that means they did not have Bitachon, because, in his words, “Jealousy and hatred come when Bitachon is lacking.”
A lack of Veahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha/ love your friend like you love yourself, is driven by a lack of Bitachon.
If a person really believed that everything that happens is from Hashem, he would never hate his friend.
From here we can see the connection between these two important Mitzvot, the Mitzvah of Bitachon , and the Mitzvah of Veahavta LeRe’echa Kamocha.
( *see note, below)
It was the lack of Bitachon that brought down the second Bet HaMikdash, and the Midrash tells us that the power of Hope will rebuild the Bet HaMikdash.
Based on the pasuk לישועתך קויתי ה' I hope for your salvation Hashem, Rabbi Yitzhak says,
“Everything will happen with hope.”
The commentaries say that this means that even if a person does not merit, in the merit of his hope the yeshua/salvation will come.
The final redemption will come because of hope.
The Hida points out that we actually say this, three times a day, in our prayers.
We say, לִישׁוּעָתְ֒ךָ קִוִּֽינוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם
We hope for Your salvation every day.
We tell Hashem,
Why should You bring the Geula? Because we hope to You every day for it.
He quotes this Midrash and says, “Even if the Jewish people only have hope, they are worthy of being saved, in the merit of their hope.”
And if you wonder why it hasn’t happened yet, he says, “Hope to Hashem, strengthen your heart, be courageous, and hope again. Keep hoping.”
It’s the power of Bitachon, to rebuild the Bet HaMikdash.
But the Ben Yehoyada asks,
If the first Bet HaMikdash was destroyed, how did their Bitachon help them?
And he answers that God poured His anger out on the building, rather than on the Jewish people, due to their bitachon.
The Maharasha says the same thing- The Jewish people should have been totally wiped out, but their bitachon cause them to be saved.
That’s an important rule.
The Maharsha says that they should have been turned into Sedom and Amora, but their bitachon saved them.
Therefore, we have to constantly work on our reliance on Hashem, even if we don’t merit. The power of hope can overcome a lack of merit.
So:
1- By working on our bitachon, we are fixing the sin that caused the destruction (which was baseless hatred).
2- The merit of our Bitachon and hope will cause the Bet HaMikdash to be rebuilt.
Let us continue in our work, which is constant and daily.
As the Brisker Rav says,
לִישׁוּעָתְ֒ךָ קִוִּֽינוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם
We hope for your salvation, not every day but rather, the entire day.
We are hoping every second of the day.
The Arizal says that this hope is not only for the general redemption, but also for our own personal challenges.
B’ezrat Hashem, we will all be answered in the merit of our hope, and may this be the last Tisha B’Av.
**It is interesting to note that the Bet Halevi wrote two essays, side by side, one on Bitachon, and one Ahavat Yisrael (loving your fellow Jew) because these concepts are very closely connected. If you would like to join our new daily Ahavat Yisrael lesson, click on the desired link:
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