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Lamentations: Kinah 1 – Line 10 Part Two



“…for we have pursued gratuitous hatred.”:  Maharal : “The Jewish People became a unified nation when they entered Israel with Joshua. We learn this from the fact that they were not responsible for each other’s

actions when they were in the desert. They only became responsible for one another after they entered Israel. The Hebrew word for responsible is “Arev” which also means to be mixed up together. They became one nation as they became unified with their land.”

We see from this Maharal how important the unity of the people is to their being unified with their land. When they were no longer unified they could not remain in the land.
Ibid : “Each detail of the redemption from Egypt was intentional and for a specific purpose.

The fact that the redemption was led by Moshe and Aharon was also intentional. Aharon was the one “who loved peace and chased after peace.” He prevented any fighting amongst the Jews. Moshe the leader, as king (the great unifier) unified them as a nation under God.” The gratuitous hatred of the Second Beis Hamikdash era was a rejection of the principles of redemption.

“The Jews were commanded in three Mitzvot upon entering the Land of Israel…appoint a king. ” They could not live in Israel without unity, without a unifier.
Maharal : “The Beis Hamikdash unified all Israel as one person. There was one altar, and they were no longer allowed to build Bamot, private altars on their properties. When they began to fight with one another, and were no longer unified, their place of unification was destroyed.”

There is an opinion  that Yerushalayim was not given as a portion in Israel to anyone of the Tribes of Israel. There is another opinion in the Sifre, Rieih that the place of the Beis Hamikdash was not given as a portion to any tribe. The Place of unification must belong to all Israel. (See Chidushei HaRiz, Rambam Hilchos Beis Habechira: Even according to the opinion that Yerushalayim and the Temple Mount were given as a portion to one tribe they are both a place of unity. They were given as a portion to one tribe so that the other tribes would come and acquire their part of those places for themselves.)

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