[Avodah] What is SinAs Chinam

[Zev Sero]

> Usually the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza is read in such a way as
> to consider the dislike of the party host for Bar Kamtza to exemplify
> sinat chinam. After all, he could have accepted Bar Kamtza's offer to
> pay for part of teh cost (or even all of them) and let him be.


R Avigdor Miller's take is very different.   He rejects the entire 
notion that this story is about sin'as chinam, or that the churban was a 
punishment for it.

According to him the only person to blame here was Bar Kamtza.  The host 
was right to expel him, the rabbanan were not only right to approve it, 
but had he not done so they would have left in protest, and would have 
been right to do so, and the way he reacted only goes to prove what a 
rasha he was. Further, R Zecharia ben Avkolos was right, as evidenced by 
the fact that the chachamim accepted his arguments.

And the gemara's point in telling the story is not to discuss the 
*reasons* for the churban, but to show that whatever the reasons were, 
the immediate *cause* was ridiculously trivial random events, such as a 
messenger getting confused between two similar names, a wagon happening 
to break down at just the wrong time & place, etc.


-- 
Zev Sero            A prosperous and healthy 2018 to all
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper