Jewish people at war without and within

Max Steinberg, z”l, an American immigrant to Israel who served in the IDF and fell in Gaza. An alumnus of Taglit-Birthright, pundits have ascribed partial blame to Birthright for his death.

This Shabbat is Shabbat Hazon, the Sabbath of contemplation prior to the fast day of Tisha B’Av, the day on which the First and Second Temples were destroyed. The Sages of our tradition ascribe the fall of the Second Temple as punishment for sinat hinam, causeless hatred among Jews, that cleared the way for the Roman destruction. In recent weeks, our community has united in support of Israel in its difficult but just campaign in Gaza against Hamas terror. Yet, even in a crisis such as this, unity is not total, and harsh words can be said to one another amidst heated disagreements. In services at Temple Torah on August 2 (beginning at 9:00 AM), join me in a discussion of the classic texts on sinat hinam and reflections on the meaning of Israel to us as extended family. We will refer to this Shabbat Hazon study sheet. Whether or not you can attend, feel free to post on Facebook or Twitter a response to this question: In what ways do you feel that the people of the State of Israel are like family? #Israelisfamily