Do you want to know your personality defects? Start with the ones you see in others. The defects you see in others are a reflection of your own - The Baal Shemtov
Do you hate?
By Rabbi Levi Cunin
Our Sages tell us that the destruction of Jerusalem, the Holy Temple that stood on temple mount and the subsequent exile of our people from the land of Israel came about because of unwarranted hatred.
If we are to achieve the dream world our saintly prophets speak of, known also as the Messianic era, we must take actions to become more loving.
Rarely will you meet a person who thinks of themselves as “hate filled”. We humans are wired to be very forgiving when it comes to ourselves.
Warning: If you are not in the mood of judging yourself then you may want to stop reading right here.
For the rest of us, perhaps some important questions can assist us in shedding light on our character and help us achieve a state of true love for our fellow.
1. Do you say hurtful words to others that make them feel bad about themselves?
2. Does your opinion leave room for someone else’s?
3. Do you ever truly agree to disagree and put your differences aside?
4. Do you judge yourself with the same severity that you judge others?
5. Do you speak gossip?
6. Do you listen to gossip?
7. Do you think in gossip?
8. Do ever feel agitated by people around you because they “just don’t get it”?
9. Are you kind and generous to people who you think are inferior to you?
10. If your challenger were to be asked about you what do you think would be said?
Is there room for hate? Absolutely! We must hate acts of evil. We must hate speech of evil. We must hate any expression of evil. We must do everything within our power to rid this planet of evil behavior, but our premise and foundation must be one of love.
If we want a world of love we must become a nation of love. We have been suffering the consequences of hatred for more than 2000 years! Is that not enough???