יום ב Date: 26 Tishrei, 5774 (10/20/14) – Yevamos#16 {Tani}

OLD HATRED

[16b bottom] R’ Shmuel bar Nachmani quoting R’ Yonasan: The verse, “The enemy spread out his hand on all her treasures,” refers to Ammon and Moav. During the (first) Temple’s destruction (instead of going after gold and silver like everyone else) they went after the Torah scroll in the Temple courtyard. They wanted to burn it in a fire because it contained the verse, “An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of Hashem.”

Prac-T-cal Tidbits: Hatred for the Jews is as old as the Jews themselves. Classic anti-Semitism always focuses on external reasons for hatred of Jews. They might use excuses and rationalizations of “verses ” they dislike,  hatred for our wealth and success, or even blaming Jews for the world’s greatest troubles. Jews are truly hated for representing the world’s moral conscience  and the perfect righteousness and performance of Hashem’s ways through following the Torah and its ways/commandments. Even with abundant hatred, Hashem always takes care of us and destroys our enemies. Just as the Ammonites and Moabites are long gone, so too G-d will take care of our enemies at the right time, when He decides it is appropriate to do so.