LEV544 See [[EXOD796]] Exodus 23:4 enemy COHON 213

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LEV546 See [[LEV176]] Leviticus 16:16 sins GATES 235

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LEV545 One must take great care not to put anyone to shame, for our Sages have said (Bava Metzia 59a): "One who whitens his friend's face [i.e., puts him to shame] in public has no share in the World-to-Come." The "whitening of the face" is the "dust" [i.e., a subtle form] of murder, the red [blood] leaving and the white [pallor] following (ibid. 58b). Furthermore, the pain of "whiteness" [humiliation] is more bitter than death, for which reason they said that one should rather fling himself into a fiery furnace than humiliate someone in public. They derive this from the example of Tamar, who allowed herself to be led out to be burned to death rather than humiliate Yehuda. And even where reproof is called for, the Torah writes [this verse]: "You shall surely reprove your friend, but do not bear sin because of him." How should one reprove his friend? In the beginning, in private and gently; but if in the beginning he rebukes him in public and humiliate him, he sins thereby (Arachin 16b). How much more so does one who humiliates his friend where reprove is not appropriate, for the destruction of Jerusalem resulted from the humiliation of Bar Kamtza (Gittin 55b-56a). Therefore, one must take great care not to do anything which may cause shame to anyone in the world

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LEV547 "You must not hate your brother in your heart" [this verse]. We have been admonished herein to remove the trait of hatred from within ourselves. This trait is the cause of many iniquities, and leads to many corrupt activities -- such as lashon hara (See the First Gate, note 26), which equals certain sins that require the death penalty, as we will explain (See paragraph 201); seeking [another's] evil; rejoicing over another's misfortune; causing harm to others; causing ill will; revenge; and bearing a grudge -- and to the loss of much good from the soul, as will be explained in The Gate of Hatred (See the First Gate, note 97). See how far the punishment of hatred extended, for our Sages, z"l, said (Yoma 9b), "Why was the second Beis HaMikdash destroyed, [even though the people] engaged in Torah study and good deeds? Because of the baseless hatred that existed between them."

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LEV556 It is far better and more positive to let the anger out rather than to harbor it inside and let it seethe and fester. Thus, a Jew is not permitted to hate a person in his heart, but should confront the person in as nice and non-angry fashion as possible, as discussed above [this verse]. Finally, Maimonides, who was careful and exacting in every word he wrote, does write that sometimes- if the issue is a very grave and large one-it is proper to get angry, but only once in a while, so that this emotion never becomes habitual.

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LEV569 There are many sources pointing out the strong antagonism of Judaism to the emotion of hatred. These sources flow from the Torah, the Tanach, the Talmud, and Midrash. The Torah specifically states [this verse] that one may not hate a brother (fellow Jew) in one's heart. The verse in Obadiah (1:12) another verse Proverbs 24:17–18) also says that you may not be joyous when your enemy is defeated, lest God get angry. This concept, of not being happy when an enemy falls, is codified in the Mishnah by Shmuel Hakatan (Avot 4:19). The idea of hatred was so distasteful to the Jew that the Talmud records that the Second Temple was destroyed because of unfounded hatred among Jews even though they performed mitzvot and were kind (Yoma 9b). Furthermore, it says in that passage that since we know that the first Temple was destroyed because Jews committed the three cardinal sins of Judaism--adultery, murder, and idolatry (the only three of the 613 for which one must choose death rather than perform them at gunpoint).... [t]his teaches us that for him who hates needlessly it is as if he has committed all three cardinal sins combined! The essence of Judaism itself involves the avoidance of hatred. When Hillel was asked by the non-Jew to tell him the entire Torah while standing on one foot (Shabbat 30a), Hillel replied that you should not do unto others what is hateful to you.... Thus, the essence of Judaism, according to Hillel, is to not act in a hateful manner.

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LEV555 It is a negative commandment not to hate in one's heart any decent person in Jewry as Scripture says, You shall not hate your brother in your heart [this verse]. And should one man sin against another, he should not bear hatred for him in his heart and keep silent. Instead, it is a religious duty for him to inform the other person and tell him, "Why did you do thus–and–so to me?" And he should erase the hatred from his heart. If, however, he saw the other person committing a sin, whereupon he warned him, but the other did not turn back, it is then a religious duty for him to hate the other one (since he does not conduct himself as "your brother").

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LEV560 See [[EXOD807]] Exodus 23:5 enemy SINAI2 23

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LEV561 See [[GEN1450]] Genesis 37:4 speak AMJV 129

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LEV548 [This verse] says one may not hate in one's heart. The hatred, when permitted, must be in the open and the "enemy" must be openly confronted, according to Maimonides (Sefer Hamitzvot #302). Nachmanides (commentary on this verse) says that if a person confronts the object of his or her hatred, in all probability the reason for the anger will be out in the open, which will lead to a reconciliation. Even if a reconciliation does not come about, the person hating will feel better.

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