1. The Nine Days and the Roots of Destruction
We are now in the nine days, a period of mourning for the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. One of the primary causes for this tragedy was sinas chinam—baseless hatred among Jews. This hatred was not rooted in any real reason; it was simply chinam, for nothing. To correct this, we must increase in avas chinam—love for others without cause, going beyond our usual measure to show kindness and unity.
2. Moshe Rabbeinu’s Gathering and Rebuke
During this time, we read Parashas Devarim, which marks the beginning of Chumash Devarim. Here, Moshe Rabbeinu gathers all of Bnei Yisrael together, as Rashi explains on the verse “Diber Moshe es kol ha-devarim ha-eileh el kol Yisrael”—Moshe spoke all these words to all Israel. This gathering took place just before Moshe’s passing. Rashi notes that Moshe wanted everyone present so that no one could later claim, ‘If I had been there, I would have answered back or responded differently.’ Moshe invites anyone with a response to speak up on the spot.
Moshe uses this opportunity to rebuke Bnei Yisrael and remind them of their history—how they repeatedly tested Hashem and misbehaved from the very beginning until that moment.
3. The Subtlety of Moshe’s Rebuke
A fascinating aspect is how Moshe presents these cases of bad behavior. He never explicitly mentions their sins; instead, he hints at them indirectly. Rashi points out that when the Torah lists places like “ba-midbar”—in the desert—it is not referring to their current location (they were already in the plains of Moav), but rather hinting at past complaints and failures.
The Torah mentions places such as Bein Teufel u-vein Lavan, but Rashi explains there are no such places geographically. Instead, these names hint at specific incidents: complaints about lacking bread in the desert (ba-midbar), failures at Baal Pe’or (ba-arava), complaints about the mon—manna (Tofel u-Lavan), and stories like the sin of the spies sent from Midbar Paran. Other hints include Dizahav, referencing the golden calf made from excess gold and silver, and Chatzeiros, which alludes either to Korach’s rebellion or Miriam’s episode of speaking Lashon Hara.
4. Lessons in Sensitivity and Judgement
Moshe Rabbeinu’s approach is extremely sensitive. Even though he needed to rebuke Bnei Yisrael and warn them to follow Torah and mitzvos, he avoids direct confrontation or insult. He couches his words in hints rather than explicit accusations, despite having personally witnessed their failures.
This teaches us a crucial lesson: we should never judge others hastily. Even if we think someone has failed or not lived up to expectations, we cannot truly know their circumstances or intentions. And even if we are certain about someone’s shortcomings, it is still forbidden to express or publicize them.
5. The Dangers of Lashon Hara and Revealing Faults
The Rebbe often quotes Chazal regarding Lashon Hara—speaking negatively about others—noting its damaging effects on all three parties: the speaker, the listener, and even the one spoken about. The harm to the speaker is clear—they violate a prohibition by speaking negatively. The listener also shares responsibility by enabling or encouraging such speech.
The surprising point is that even the person being spoken about can be harmed spiritually by having their faults publicized. Sometimes a person’s flaws are hidden from view, allowing Hashem to overlook them with mercy. But when someone brings those flaws into public discussion, it forces a harsher judgment from Heaven.
6. Focusing on Merits and Positive Speech
This principle works both ways: just as highlighting someone’s faults can bring negative attention from above, focusing on their positive qualities can draw down Divine favor upon them. Every situation can be viewed through a lens of merit-seeking rather than fault-finding.
The Satmar Rebbe once asked how Chazal could say that even rishoyim&mdash‘wicked people’&mdashare filled with mitzvos like a pomegranate is filled with seeds if they are truly wicked? The answer given was that perhaps our labels are mistaken—if they have so many mitzvos, perhaps they should not be called wicked at all!
7. Building Unity Through Avas Yisroel
This period especially calls for us to take a positive approach: seeking merits in others, finding excuses for them, practicing true Avas Yisroel—love for fellow Jews&mdashand certainly avoiding anything that leads to division or ill feelings.
If we focus on unity and kindness rather than separation and judgment, we will merit together to see the rebuilding of the Third Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days—Amen.