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Why was Jerusalem destroyed for following Torah (תורה) law exactly as written? The Gemara (גמרא) reveals that true peace requires giving up what we're entitled to, not just giving gifts. Compromise in court means sacrificing rightful claims for relationships—the foundation of real shalom.
This shiur examines a fascinating Talmudic statement in Niddah 30b that Jerusalem was destroyed because the courts followed Torah (תורה) law precisely without going beyond the letter of the law (lifnim mishuras hadin). This presents an apparent contradiction with another Gemara (גמרא) that attributes the destruction to sinat chinam (baseless hatred). Rabbi Zweig resolves this through an analysis of the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s treatment of going beyond the letter of the law in three contexts within Mishneh Torah. The Rambam discusses lifnim mishuras hadin in three cases: returning lost objects when the owner has already given up hope, helping with tasks one wouldn't perform for oneself, and assisting with loading animals even when it's beneath one's dignity. Significantly, only in the third case does the Rambam use the term 'chassid' (pious person). Rabbi Zweig explains this distinction: the first two cases involve giving additional effort or items, while the third requires giving up one's honor and dignity—a fundamental difference between giving and giving up.
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Niddah 30b
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