This post is more an FYI or PSA than anything. Both of these little morsels came from readers/friends and are pretty apropos. My comments aren't necessary; I think they'll speak for themselves.
Item 1 comes from Tablet Magazine and was written by Daniel Gordis in a Tisha b'Av piece called "Sinning Against Each Other." The reader/friend highlighted this specific portion:
"Rabbi Joseph Telushkin recently shared a beautiful thought with me. The Talmud suggests that the First Temple was destroyed because of serious violations like murder, idolatry, and incest. The Second was destroyed because of “baseless hatred.” Since the first violations are seemingly so much more serious, why was the First Temple rebuilt after 70 years, while the second never was?
The answer, Rabbi Telushkin heard from his own teacher, Rabbi Aharon Kreiser, was that baseless hatred, dismissive attitudes, and communal rancor are different. They are the sorts of actions for which we can always find explanations and justifications, and so, we never really confront the fact that we’ve sinned. This is why, Rabbi Kreiser said, the Temple that was destroyed because of baseless hatred has never been rebuilt."
The second item is less of an item and more of a "way of life" assessment. Are you ready for it?
"Ignore the haters. You're not the jackass whisperer."
With that, I bid you a good eve'. (insert smiley face here)
