Rabbi Meir Faivelzon Attack Highlights Deeper Issues Beyond Baseless Hatred

The recent violent attack on Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Faivelzon in Kiryat Sefer has exposed profound challenges within Israeli public and religious life. The incident, marked by accusations of heresy and murder shouted at the rabbi, and the delayed public condemnation, signals more than a marginal event. It reflects a deeper societal problem related to "sinat chinam" (baseless hatred), a concept from Jewish tradition linked to the destruction of the Temple.

During the Nine Days, a period of mourning in Judaism, there is often a call to counteract this hatred with "ahavat chinam" (baseless love). However, Rabbi Yehoshua Peper, writing in collaboration with Achvat Torah and the Iyun Institute, argues that the solution is more complex. Hatred is rarely truly baseless; it usually stems from real grievances or fears. It becomes "baseless" when genuine disputes escalate into seeing opponents as enemies or outsiders.

The rabbinic model suggests a different approach: even intense disagreements between close relations, such as father and son or teacher and student, should remain within a framework of mutual respect and shared commitment. Disputes should not erase the bond or transform disagreement into rejection or violence.

The article emphasizes that the remedy to baseless hatred is not to eliminate conflict or superficially demand niceness. Instead, it calls for renewing the covenant to engage vigorously in truth-seeking debates without dehumanizing the other side or allowing incitement and violence to infiltrate the religious community.