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Why was the Jews' crying over the spies' report called 'for nothing' when their fear was understandable? The crying was baseless because it stemmed from false entitlement - expecting God's promise meant effortless conquest rather than requiring sacrifice and struggle. This unwarranted sense of entitlement, not genuine grievance, creates most interpersonal conflict and prevents redemption.
Rabbi Zweig begins by examining the Talmudic statement that the Jews cried "for nothing" (b'chi shel chinam) when hearing the spies' negative report about entering the Land of Israel, leading to the Ninth of Av becoming a day of mourning. He questions how their crying could be considered "for nothing" when they received a genuinely frightening report about their future. The analysis moves to Pirkei Avos 5:11, which states that the sword comes to the world due to three judicial failures: delaying judgment, perverting judgment, and giving wrong Torah (תורה) interpretations. Rabbi Zweig explores why specifically the sword is mentioned, drawing from Exodus 22:21 where God threatens to kill with the sword those who oppress widows and orphans.
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Pirkei Avos 5:11
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