[Avodah] What is SinAs Chinam

[Ben Bradley]

That gemara doesn't mention sinas chinam anywhere. Which is why Maharsha has to note that it's related to the background of sinas chinam we know about from elsewhere.

Trying to put the Bar Kamtza story directly into a sinas chinam context ignores the explicit introduction of the gemara. The while story is introduced by R Yochanan in the context of a pasuk from mishlei 'ashrei adam mfached tamid' , referring to someone who is ro'eh es hanolad according to Rashi , only then does the gemara say 'al K v'al BK charav yerushalyim'.

Where does ro'eh es hanolad fit in here? Seems to be that it means that RZbA realised what would happen if he didn't bring the chicken, but refused in any case because that was the right thing to do. R Yochanan's editorial comment on that is that had he killed Bar Kamtza, as the chachamim suggested, he could have prevented the churban. Whether that is intended as praise or criticism may be a matter of debate.  But either reading of R Yochanans comment doesn't change the basic point of the gemara which is to relate the immediate events leading up to the churban in the context of RZbA and his mida of ro'eh es hanolad.  The background of sinas chinam may be relevant to the story but not to the point of the gemara as evidenced by its introduction.



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