Baseless Hatred - The Path to Destruction

Parsha Vayigash (Genesis 44:18 – 47:27)

Baseless Hatred - The Path to Destruction

In this week's Torah portion, Joseph examines the intentions of his brothers to determine if they have genuinely changed. He is not satisfied with platitudes but wants to see a genuine transformation in their hearts. Judah and his siblings do not realize that they are being tested at the time, even though their actions will have significant consequences.

Joseph wants to know if his brothers will prioritize their own interests and leave Benjamin as a slave in Egypt, just as they abandoned Joseph in the past. He wonders if they will once again break their father's heart by forsaking Benjamin or if they will show that their hearts have genuinely changed by choosing to stay with and support their brother.

Joseph did not seek an apology from his brothers. Instead, he wanted to see tangible evidence that they would not repeat the wrongs of the past. He needed to be sure that they had indeed rejected the sin of Baseless Hatred (unjustified hatred).

Chabad.org writes,¹

“The root of baseless hatred is ego. An egocentric person feels threatened by others, for their very existence endangers his inflated sense of self. Therefore, although he may not seek to actively harm others, he will be secretly pleased when they suffer, or at least not be troubled by their suffering. Furthermore, he will be blind to other people’s good qualities.”

Baseless Hatred is hating someone because of their identity or beliefs rather than any specific wrong they have done to us. This type of hatred is often directed towards those we associate with particular ideas or characteristics that we dislike. It is common for religious groups to harbor Baseless Hatred toward those with different theology, which can lead to religious wars and divisions within communities. History is filled with examples of violent conflicts that arose due to minor differences in doctrine and ideology.

Baseless Hatred also plays a significant role in politics. Political parties often rely on this type of hatred to fuel animosity towards the opposing party by portraying its members negatively and seeking to dehumanize them. Similarly, countries at war often seek to stir up unfounded hatred toward their enemies to justify violence and make it easier for soldiers to kill. Without this tactic, motivating soldiers to engage in conflict would be more challenging.

The sages interpreted the calamity that befell the nation of Israel in the first century CE as the stroke of God’s judgment for their sins. The Talmud lists several reasons why Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple demolished, but the leading cause of God's divine judgment was said to be Baseless Hatred.

The sages write,²

“Why was the Second Temple destroyed at a time when people occupied themselves with the study of Torah, the observance of the commandments, and the practice of charity? Because baseless hatred prevailed within them.”

During the second temple era of the first century CE, the Jewish people were divided into two main factions: those who supported the Roman authorities and those who opposed them. This division caused a political stalemate in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council. The Sadducees and Herodians, who represented the pro-Roman party, were opposed by the Pharisees and Zealots, who represented the anti-Roman party. These factions often masked their bitter animosity towards each other as religious devotion. They engaged in petty intrigue, chaos, and political partisanship to further their agendas. They used police brutality, participated in anti-Roman riots, committed acts of terrorism, and spread hateful rhetoric against their opponents. Their political divisions led to an uprising, which eventually escalated into a civil war and a devastating conflict with Rome, culminating in the Temple's destruction in 70 CE.

Followers of Jesus are not immune to this problem. Christians have a history of promoting hatred in the name of Christ. Church history is filled with examples of Christians killing other Christians in the name of their religious beliefs. More Christian martyrs have been killed by other Christians than by non-believers. The bloodshed caused by Christian fanatics extends far beyond the Catholic-Protestant divide. Consider the amount of Jewish blood that has been shed in the name of Christ. Given this history, institutional Christianity hasn’t any historical or moral leg to stand on and must be hypervigilant to prevent such Baseless Hatred from happening again.

No one is immune to the temptation of Baseless Hatred. Love for the Jewish heritage of Jesus can turn into hatred for those who disagree with this perspective. A devotion to the Sabbath can become hatred towards those who worship on Sunday. Religious Zionism can sometimes turn into bigotry against Muslims and Arabs. Religious nationalism can become hatred towards those who hold different viewpoints. The examples of this kind of hatred are numerous.

Sadly, our nation is sinking in the quicksand of Baseless Hatred. So much so that any individual who disagrees with the “approved” narrative is canceled and cursed. They are segmented into the derogatory “other” status, left to fend for themselves and their families.

We don’t need to look far to find examples. 52-year-old Dr. Sohrab Lutchmedial, Director of cardiology at the New Brunswick Heart Center, who unexpectedly died in his sleep on November 8th, tweeted back in July of 2021, “For those that won’t get the shot for selfish reasons – whatever – I won’t cry at their funeral.” 

Florida House District 23 progressive candidate Richard Roe, who died unexpectedly while walking his dog in late October, wrote, “Let me be real clear...I do not give a F*&k what happens to anti-vaxxers. I don’t. Let Darwin do his work. They helped kill 700,000 Americans. I do not have the pity or tears to spare for any of them. I’s all dried up now, sorry. At this point, I’m just hoping they feel 1/10th of the pain they have caused everyone else. The kids will be fine. THE’RE going to suffer. And I f*&#king well think they’ve earned it.”

There are countless examples on Twitter and other social media platforms of derogatory and hostile comments directed at the group of people who have decided not to get vaccinated. Unfortunately, the targeting of "the other" has not been limited to just words. The persecution escalated quickly. We started as a nation uniformly in favor of isolating for two weeks to flatten the curve. Within months, some were forcibly removed from their jobs and ostracized from society if they refused the vaccine. World leaders went so far as to call for the complete segregation of the non-vaccinated. California passed a law to persecute any doctor who prescribes treatment that is outside of the state mandate. Doctors and many other law-abiding citizens must now risk their careers to follow their conscience. 

Unfortunately, the vaccine “sides” have taken shelter along political lines. Typically, but not always, you will find the conservative/libertarian voter undergoing significant life changes to avoid the vaccine. In contrast, the progressive or left-leaning voter adamantly champions receiving the vaccine and wears it as a badge of honor. 

Recently, libertarian comedian Bill Maher did a segment on his show Real Time with Bill Maher, showing how conservatives and progressives think differently about COVID. You can find the video here; it’s worth the watch. Being driven into our respective “corners” where confirmation bias runs rampant is a path that only leads to destruction.

Like Joseph’s brothers, we are in the midst of our test. Joseph probed the hearts of his brothers to see if they had relinquished their hate toward him. Are we willing to relinquish our Baseless Hatred towards those who have wronged us after a penitent heart is evident, like Josephs's brothers displayed? Or, will we hold to demonizing the “other” without any attempt at irenic dialogue or reconciliation? Will we assume the best in those who think differently than us?

These are difficult questions to ask and answer. However, if we do not pull ourselves from the path of Baseless Hatred, we will be destroyed. History affirms that the consequences of this course are total annihilation.

The worst part is we will have done it to ourselves.

Have a great week. Stay sharp. Pray. Be ready.

Ty

If you enjoyed this post, please like, share it with your friends, and subscribe. I’m trying to build our community of like-minded individuals by sharing relevant information on various subjects like COVID, America, Patriotism, Faith, and Spirituality.

PS.

I want to clarify that I am not suggesting that mercy should be prioritized over justice. Both mercy and justice are essential and can coexist. Justice involves holding people accountable and providing fair consequences for their actions. However, if justice is pursued without showing mercy and forgiveness, it can ultimately harm the person and the society who seeks only recompense. Healing is only possible when both mercy and justice are considered.

1. https://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/dailywisdom_cdo/aid/2951998/jewish/Monday-Baseless-Hatred.htm

2. b. Yoma 9b