Baseless Hatred

This coming week, many Jewish people will be recalling the tragic destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. We will be commemorating this tragedy with a fast day, Tisha B'av, or the 9th of the month of Av. This coming Sabbath, we will be reading a portion of the Prophets which describes the destruction of Jerusalem in gruesome detail. Our sages tell us that this destruction was due to baseless hatred.

So what exactly is baseless hatred? At first glance, it seems like an oxymoron. How do people hate one another without a reason? Even as I type these words, I recall many instances in history (and the present) where people hated one another simply because. Because their leader told them to. Or their friends told them to. Or they were fearful of being caught doing the 'right' thing. Many people maintain a gang mentality and don't have the courage to think for themselves. There are so many reasons why someone might hate another for no apparent reason.

As the first session here in camp comes to an end this Sunday, many will tearfully say goodbye to their new and old friends. Camp is a mini-world, a melting pot where so many different people from different geographical locations, backgrounds, families, income levels, and religious observance, gather together for an intensive few weeks. It is easy to hate someone here for no real reason. When kids are with their bunk, there can be a group mentality of people ganging up against someone in the bunk. People can get on each other's nerves. However, I have rarely seen any unkind behavior at this camp. In fact, this is the most sensitive and considerate camp atmosphere I have ever worked in. Counselors are wonderful role models for their campers, modeling the compassionate behavior they expect from their campers.

I believe that if we desire compassion and kindness from others, we too must model that behavior. It is in this climate that we can begin to mend the violence and pain of the baseless hatred in the world. What steps will you take to model compassion and kindness?