ואהבת/לא תשנא

Rambam: The reason the Torah specifies that "לֹא-תִשְׂנָא אֶת-אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ" is because

• this specific mitzvah only relates to one's heart
• the Torah will usually give the normal example -- people usually keep the hatred internal
• Expressing your hate to someone's face is always healthy and cathartic
• to teach us that hatred will always penetrate our heart -- even if we think we can control it

Answer explanation

Just because something isn't included in one aveirah doesn't mean it is permitted -- it just means that it isn't included in the scope of this specific prohibition.

Ramban: The reason the Torah specifies that "לֹא-תִשְׂנָא אֶת-אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ" is because

• this specific mitzvah only relates to one's heart
• the Torah will usually give the normal example -- people usually keep the hatred internal
• Expressing your hate to someone's face is always healthy and cathartic
• we are only supposed to hate reshaim in our heart, and not yell it from the rooftops

Answer explanation

In general, we know the Torah will phrase things in a way which will make it easier for the reader to understand. One of the ways the Torah does this is by picking a normal, common example of the topic it's discussing. (This is not the only place in Chumash where we find the Chumash picking a very normal, typical example.)

The gemara mentions that there is a mitzvah to hate reshaim b/c

• the mitzvah only applies to people who are "אָחִיךָ" in mitzvos
• we only hate people who have a substantive connection to us
• b/c of the pasuk which says "יִרְאַת ה' שְׂנֹאת רָע"
• after we've given proper tochacha

Answer explanation

From the gemara's explanation, we see that the hatred it's talking about isn't the regular hatred people harbor for others . . .

What do we see from the Rambam's last phrase? Isn't it obvious that we don't hate a rasha after they do teshuva?

• This is pointing out that the hatred the Torah commands that we have for a rasha must be able to be extinguished as soon as necessary. this is only possible if the hatred stems from our moral outrage; it will be impossible if we use the person's aveiros as an excuse to hate them.

• The Torah, in this mitzvah, is only focusing on our heart; that doesn't mean that expressing and/or acting on our hatred is permissible -- just that those are different aveiros

• This is pointing out that while it is the job of the rasha to focus on his mistakes and current situation, it is our job to ignore his aveiros because we only focus on his potential and best-case scenarios

• ALL OF THE ABOVE -- NICE TRY🙄!

According to the Sefer Ye're'im, why is it permissible to hate reshaim?

• the mitzvah only applies to people who are "אָחִיךָ" in mitzvos
• we only hate people who have a substantive connection to us
• b/c of the pasuk which says "יִרְאַת ה' שְׂנֹאת רָע"
• after we've given proper tochacha

Answer explanation

According to the Yereim, the "אָחִיךָ" we are told not to hate refers to someone who is our brother in all respects -- including Torah and Mitzvos.

According to the Sefer HaChinuch, someone is only viewed as a rasha

• the mitzvah only applies to people who are "אָחִיךָ" in mitzvos
• we only hate people who have a substantive connection to us
• b/c of the pasuk which says "יִרְאַת ה' שְׂנֹאת רָע"
• after we've given proper tochacha

Answer explanation

The Sefer HaChinuch is one of the rishonim whom is of the opinion that we can only judge someone to be a rasha if we know that they reject the idea of doing better.

How can we possibly know if they are struggling or willful sinners?

By seeing how they react to a full, effective tochacha.

According to the Ba'al HaTanya, the only reshaim we are commanded to hate

• the mitzvah only applies to people who are "אָחִיךָ" in mitzvos
• we only hate people who have a substantive connection to us
• b/c of the pasuk which says "יִרְאַת ה' שְׂנֹאת רָע"
• after we've given proper tochacha

Answer explanation

The Ba'al HaTanya makes the following argument:

1. Someone can only be considered a rasha if they reject tochacha;

2. the mitzvah of tochacha is "הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ". In context of ona'as devarim (verbal mistreatment), the Rama paskens that "עֲמִיתֶךָ" means "one who is with you in Torah and Mitzvos" "עִם שֶׁאִתְּךָ בְּתוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹת" i.e. someone who is on your level and to whom you have a real affilation/connection;

3. . . . which means that:

   1. 1) the only people who you could possibly give tochacha to are people on your level whom you're connected to

   2. 2) the only people who you might possibly judge to be a rasha as a result of your tochacha are those same people on your level whom you're connected to

   3. 3) the only reshaim you could possible be commanded to hate are those willful sinners on your level whom you're connected to -- not people who are unobservant or not really connected to you.

The Chazon Ish and other great poskim point out that most sinners aren't considered reshaim today b/c

• we don't give proper tochacha
• they're all like a case of tinok shenishbah
• nowadays, they're not trying to undermine society/morality -- they're cut off from belief
• if we battle them, it won't help -- it'll promote strife and rancor!

Answer explanation

Five hundred years ago, the Maharam of Lublin already paskened that we clearly aren't capable of giving tochacha effectively.

This means that

1) we can never judge someone to be a rasha (Marginsa Tara printed in Ahavas Chesed) -- one is only judged to be a rasha if they reject a proper tochacha, and

2) we live in a very challenging spiritual reality (Chazon Ish)

The Rambam writes that the Karaim, people born into communities that rejected Torah She'be'al Peh, shouldn't be treated like the apikorsim of Chazal's times because

• we don't give proper tochacha
• they're all like a case of tinok shenishbah
• nowadays, they're not trying to undermine society/morality -- they're cut off from belief
• if we battle them, it won't help -- it'll promote strife and rancor!

Answer explanation

The Rambam makes the following points about the halacha of tinok shenishbah (the kidnapped Jewish baby who's raised as a non-Jew, and isn't considered accountable for the sins they committed):

The halacha applies

1) even when someone wasn't literally kidnapped;

2) even if they knew they were Jewish, but. because of the way they were raised, don't appreciate what that means;

3) it also applies even though they know that there are religious people who believe differently since they don't really appreciate what that means.

The Chazon Ish writes that we don't treat apikorsim nowadays -- even ones who didn't grow up ignorant -- like the apikorsim of Chazal because

• we don't give proper tochacha
• they're all like a case of tinok shenishbah
• nowadays, they're not trying to undermine society/morality -- they're cut off from belief
• if we battle them, it won't help -- it'll promote strife and rancor!

Answer explanation

Our contemporary reality changes the way we view all apikorsim and the value/utility of opposing them in every way possible-- even though their beliefs are still equally wrong and damaging, because:

1) heresy is usually because of a disconnect with Torah, not a conscious attempt to undermining the Torah they understand and appreciate;

2) nowadays, struggling against heresy in extreme ways would only promote violence and extremism and not restore Torah and morality.