The apothegm of Chazal (Yoma 9b) is well known, that the generation of the second Temple possessed Torah and mitzvoth and its destruction was due to the sin of sinath chinam [vain hatred] and lashon hara. And the Rishonim write that if there was power in this sin to destroy a house that was already built, how much more so would it prevent its rebuilding. And this is intimated in Chazal's apothegm: "Any generation in whose days the Temple is not rebuilt is [like one] in whose days it is destroyed." And if so, we must perforce strengthen ourselves to correct this sin; that is, to take care not to stumble in it. For, how long will we remain in exile?
But, in truth, let us reflect who can correct this sin? The plain person can certainly not do so correctly, since he does not know what lashon hara is and what rechiluth is and what enters into their categories. So that their fundamental correction depends upon one who is a Torah scholar. He can reflect upon their halachoth and take care to fulfill them.
Chazal have said (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 2:6): "When King Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, transgressing (Devarim 17:17: 'And he [a king] shall not multiply for himself wives,' the yod of 'and he shall not multiply' [lo yarbeh] ascended before the Blessed L-rd and said: 'A deed of gift which is nullified partially is nullified entirely.' If Solomon nullifies me, who will fulfill me?' [That is, this mitzvah applies only to a king.] The Holy One Blessed be He answered: 'Solomon and a thousand like him will be nullified, but a letter of My Torah will not be nullified!' — whence it is seen that the Holy One Blessed be He is categorically opposed to one letter of the Torah being hefker ["abandoned"] to all. And if we ask ourselves what in the Torah has been abandoned, we find that the sin of lashon hara is hefker [i.e., not considered a sin] in the eyes of those who have not tasted the taste of Torah.
[And in our many sins, even one who can understand the dinim of the Torah does not find this sin as stringent as the others. A proof of this is that if it happened to someone that somehow kosher meat were mixed up with meat that was neveilah [carrion] or treifah [lit., "torn"], and he stumbled in this [i.e., he ate the latter], his heart would be bitter within him, and it would literally pain his soul, and he would fast over it and all his life remember that he had stumbled in the sin of neveilah and treifah — but not with this sin! Even if he had stumbled in verbal wronging or in whitening one's face [with shame] or in lashon hara or rechiluth itself — for all of which there are explicit negative commandments in the Torah — and even if he had done all of them together, if he had instigated a quarrel in which there were verbal wronging and whitening of the face and lashon hara and rechiluth combined, his heart would not be in too much of a turmoil because of this. And even if after the quarrel it dawned upon him that he had caused all this himself, still his soul would not be so troubled by this that he would go to a sage to seek counsel for this as he would for neveiloth and treifoth and the like. Another proof: He would remember it for only a few days, after which it would be forgotten entirely, as if he had never tasted the taste of these sins in all of his days. All of this is clear proof that the yetzer hara prevents even the man of heart from applying his eyes and heart to these things.]
If so, how much must a Torah scholar, at least strengthen himself to be careful of these issurim relating to the faculty of speech [i.e., lashon hara, rechiluth, verbal wronging and whitening of the face] so that the words of the L-rd not be as hefker.
Now according to what we have explained above, there is dependent upon this the building of the future Temple [And the sefarim (the sacred books) have written in the name of the holy Zohar that if [even] one synagogue observed the trait of shalom correctly, we could merit the coming of the Messiah. If so, the coming of the Messiah is in our hands, (but we must first take care to avoid sinath chinam and lashon hara)]. And all who strengthen themselves to correct this sin will have a share in the future Temple; for without them, the Temple would be in ruins forever, G-d forbid.
Now if we were authorized to build the Temple and money were required, it is well known that each Jew would willingly contribute all that he could, so that he, too, would have a share in the Temple. Now, in our case, money is not required at all! Only to strengthen ourselves and to distance ourselves from the grave sin of lashon hara and sinath chinam and to hold onto the trait of shalom. By doing so, the sin will be corrected and we will merit the coming of the Messiah and the building of the Temple.
And how exalted will be the name of that man who was the cause of the rebuilding of the Temple, as we find in Nechemiah (Chapter 3), where are recorded for all time the names of those men who donated a portion of the wall of Jerusalem. How much more so, [one who gives] for the Temple itself!
בּוֹ יְבֹאַר שֶׁהַזָּהִיר מִזֶּה הַחֵטְא הֶחָמוּר הוּא מְסַיֵּעֵ לְבִנְיַן הַבַּיִת הֶעָתִיד.
In this chapter it will be explained that one who is careful to avoid this grave sin assists in the building of the Temple to be.
הִנֵּה יָדוּעַ מַאֲמַר חֲזַ"ל (יומא ט:), דְּדוֹר שֶׁל בַּיִת שֵׁנִי, הָיָה בּוֹ תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, וְחֻרְבָּנוֹ הָיָה בַּעֲוֹן שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע. וְכָתְבוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, דְּמַה שֶּׁהָיָה כֹּחַ בֶּעָוֹן הַזֶּה לְהַחֲרִיב בַּיִת הַבָּנוּי, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁלֹּא יַנִּיחַ לִבְנוֹתוֹ מֵחָדָשׁ. וְזֶהוּ רֶמֶז מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל: כָּל דּוֹר שֶׁלֹּא נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בְּיָמָיו כְּאִלּוּ נֶחֱרַב בְּיָמָיו. וְאִם כֵּן, עַל כָּרְחֲךָ שֶׁאָנוּ צְרִיכִין לְהִתְחַזֵּקּ לְתַקֵּן הַחֵטְא הַזֶּה, דְּהַיְנוּ לְהִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא לְהִכָּשֵׁל בּוֹ, דְּעַד מָתַי נִהְיֶה בַּגּוֹלָה?
The apothegm of Chazal (Yoma 9b) is well known, that the generation of the second Temple possessed Torah and mitzvoth and its destruction was due to the sin of sinath chinam [vain hatred] and lashon hara. And the Rishonim write that if there was power in this sin to destroy a house that was already built, how much more so would it prevent its rebuilding. And this is intimated in Chazal's apothegm: "Any generation in whose days the Temple is not rebuilt is [like one] in whose days it is destroyed." And if so, we must perforce strengthen ourselves to correct this sin; that is, to take care not to stumble in it. For, how long will we remain in exile?
אָכֵן בֶּאֱמֶת נִתְבּוֹנֵן מִי יוּכַל לְתַקִּן הַחֵטְא הַזֶּה. הָאִישׁ הַפָּשׁוּט בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יוּכַל לִשְׁמֹר הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה כַּהֲלָכָה, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ מַה הוּא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּמַה הוּא רְכִילוּת, וְאֵיזֶה דָּבָר נִכְנָס בִּכְלָלָם. וְעִקַּר הַתִּקּוּן תָּלוּי בְּמִי שֶׁהוּא בֶּן תּוֹרָה. הוּא יָכוֹל לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּהִלְכוֹתֶיהָ וּלְהִזָּהֵר וּלְקַיְּמָם.
But, in truth, let us reflect who can correct this sin? The plain person can certainly not do so correctly, since he does not know what lashon hara is and what rechiluth is and what enters into their categories. So that their fundamental correction depends upon one who is a Torah scholar. He can reflect upon their halachoth and take care to fulfill them.
וְהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (שמות רבה ו'): בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּשָׂא שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת בַּת פַּרְעֹה וְעָבַר עַל "לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים", עָלְתָה הַיּוּ"ד דְּ"לֹא יַרְבֶּה" לִפְנֵי ה' יִתְבָּרַךְ וְאָמְרָה: דְּיָתֵיקַי (שטר מתנה) שֶׁבָּטְלָה מִקְצָתָהּ בָּטְלָה כֻּלָּהּ. אִם שְׁלֹמֹה יְבַטְּלֵנִי, מִי יְקַיְּמֵנִי? [רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר דְּמִצְוָה זוֹ אֵינָהּ תְּלוּיָה, רַק בַּמֶּלֶךְ]. עָנָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: שְׁלֹמֹה וְאֶלֶף כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ יִהְיוּ בְּטֵלִין, וְאַל תִּבָּטֵל אוֹת אַחַת מִן הַתּוֹרָה. וּמִזֶּה נִרְאֶה בַּעֲלִיל, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַקְפִּיד גָּדוֹל כְּשֶׁדָּבָר אֶחָד מִן הַתּוֹרָה נַעֲשֶׂה הֶפְקֵר לַכֹּל. וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִתְבּוֹנֵן הֵיטֵב אֵיזֶה דָּבָר מִן הַתּוֹרָה הוּא הֶפְקֵר, נִמְצָא שֶׁהֶעָוֹן שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא הֶפְקֵר בְּעֵינֵי הַבְּרִיוֹת שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמוּ טַעַם תּוֹרָה.
Chazal have said (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 2:6): "When King Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, transgressing (Devarim 17:17: 'And he [a king] shall not multiply for himself wives,' the yod of 'and he shall not multiply' [lo yarbeh] ascended before the Blessed L-rd and said: 'A deed of gift which is nullified partially is nullified entirely.' If Solomon nullifies me, who will fulfill me?' [That is, this mitzvah applies only to a king.] The Holy One Blessed be He answered: 'Solomon and a thousand like him will be nullified, but a letter of My Torah will not be nullified!' — whence it is seen that the Holy One Blessed be He is categorically opposed to one letter of the Torah being hefker ["abandoned"] to all. And if we ask ourselves what in the Torah has been abandoned, we find that the sin of lashon hara is hefker [i.e., not considered a sin] in the eyes of those who have not tasted the taste of Torah.
[וּבַעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים אֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ לְהָבִין דִּינֵי הַתּוֹרָה, גַּם כֵּן אֵין חָמוּר בְּדַעְתּוֹ הֶעָוֹן הַזֶּה כָּל כָּךְ כִּשְׁאָר עֲוֹנוֹת. וּרְאָיָה לָזֶה, דְּאִם יֶאֱרַע לְאָדָם, שֶׁמֵּאֵיזוֹ סִבָּה נִתְחַלֵּף לוֹ בָּשָׂר כָּשֵׁר לִבְשַׂר נְבֵלָה וּטְרֵפָה וְנִכְשַׁל בָּזֶה, יִתְמַרְמֵר לִבּוֹ בְּקַרְבּוֹ וְיֵרַע דָּבָר זֶה לְנַפְשׁוֹ מַמָּשׁ וְיִתְעַנֶּה עַל זֶה וְכָל יְמֵי חַיָּיו יִזְכֹּר דָּבָר זֶה, שֶׁנִּכְשַׁל בִּבְשַׂר נְבֵלָה וּטְרֵפָה. וְלֹא כֵן בֶּעָוֹן הַזֶּה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם נִכְשַׁל בְּאוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים אוֹ בְּהַלְבָּנַת פָּנִים אוֹ בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁעַל כָּל זֶה יֵשׁ לָאוִין מְפֹרָשִׁין בַּתּוֹרָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם עָשָׂה כֻּלָּן בְּיַחַד, שֶׁסִּבֵּב מְרִיבָה וְהָיוּ בָּזֶה אוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים וְהַלְבָּנַת פָּנִים וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת כֻּלָּן יַחַד, גַּם כֵּן לֹא יִסְתַּעֵר לִבּוֹ עַל זֶה כָּל כָּךְ. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יֶאֱרַע אַחַר הַמְּרִיבָה שֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן שֶׁסִּבֵּב בְּעַצְמוֹ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם לֹא תֶּהֱמֶה נַפְשׁוֹ עַל זֶה כָּל כָּךְ לֵילֵךְ לְחָכָם וּלְחַפֵּשׂ עֵצוֹת עַל זֶה כְּמוֹ עַל נְבֵלוֹת וּטְרֵפוֹת וְכַדּוֹמֶה. וְעוֹד רְאָיָה לָזֶה, שֶׁלֹּא יִזְכֹּר, רַק אֵיזֶה יָמִים, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִהְיֶה שָׁכוּחַ הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְגַמְרֵי מִלִּבּוֹ, כְּמִי שֶׁלֹּא טָעַם הַחֲטָאִים הָאֵלּוּ מִיָּמָיו. כָּל זֶה רְאָיָה בְּרוּרָה שֶׁהַיֵּצֶר הָרָע אֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ אֲפִלּוּ לָאָדָם הַנִּלְבָּב לָשׂוּם עֵינָיו וְלִבּוֹ עַל אֵלּוּ הָעִנְיָנִים].
[And in our many sins, even one who can understand the dinim of the Torah does not find this sin as stringent as the others. A proof of this is that if it happened to someone that somehow kosher meat were mixed up with meat that was neveilah [carrion] or treifah [lit., "torn"], and he stumbled in this [i.e., he ate the latter], his heart would be bitter within him, and it would literally pain his soul, and he would fast over it and all his life remember that he had stumbled in the sin of neveilah and treifah — but not with this sin! Even if he had stumbled in verbal wronging or in whitening one's face [with shame] or in lashon hara or rechiluth itself — for all of which there are explicit negative commandments in the Torah — and even if he had done all of them together, if he had instigated a quarrel in which there were verbal wronging and whitening of the face and lashon hara and rechiluth combined, his heart would not be in too much of a turmoil because of this. And even if after the quarrel it dawned upon him that he had caused all this himself, still his soul would not be so troubled by this that he would go to a sage to seek counsel for this as he would for neveiloth and treifoth and the like. Another proof: He would remember it for only a few days, after which it would be forgotten entirely, as if he had never tasted the taste of these sins in all of his days. All of this is clear proof that the yetzer hara prevents even the man of heart from applying his eyes and heart to these things.]
וְאִם כֵּן כַּמָּה צָרִיךְ בֶּן תּוֹרָה עַל כָּל פָּנִים לְהִתְחַזֵּק לִהְיוֹת זָהִיר בְּאִסּוּרִים אֵלּוּ, הַתְּלוּיִם בְּכֹחַ הַדִּבּוּר, [שֶׁהוּא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת וְאוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים וְהַלְבָּנַת פָּנִים], כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי ה' כְּהֶפְקֵר.
If so, how much must a Torah scholar, at least strengthen himself to be careful of these issurim relating to the faculty of speech [i.e., lashon hara, rechiluth, verbal wronging and whitening of the face] so that the words of the L-rd not be as hefker.
וְהִנֵּה לְפִי מַה שֶּׁבֵּאַרְנוּ לְעֵיל, תָּלוּי בָּזֶה בִּנְיַן הַבַּיִת דְּלֶעָתִיד, [וְהִנֵּה כָּתְבוּ הַסְּפָרִים בְּשֵׁם הַזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, דְּבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא חֲדָא (שבית כנסת אחד), אִם הָיוּ שׁוֹמְרִים מִדַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם כִּדְבָעֵי, יְכוֹלִים לִזְכּוֹת לְבִיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ. אִם כֵּן בִּיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ תְּלוּיָה בְּיָדֵינוּ. וְיָדוּעַ, שֶׁבְּמִדַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם אֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִים לִזְכּוֹת בָּהּ, רַק אִם נִהְיֶה זְהִירִים מִתְּחִלָּה מֵעֲוֹן שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע], וְכָל אֶחָד שֶׁיִּתְחַזֵּק לְתַקִּן הַחֵטְא הַזֶּה, יִהְיֶה לוֹ חֵלֶק בַּבַּיִת הַבָּנוּי לֶעָתִיד, דְּבִלְתָּם הָיָה הַבַּיִת חָרֵב לְעוֹלָם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
Now according to what we have explained above, there is dependent upon this the building of the future Temple [And the sefarim (the sacred books) have written in the name of the holy Zohar that if [even] one synagogue observed the trait of shalom correctly, we could merit the coming of the Messiah. If so, the coming of the Messiah is in our hands, (but we must first take care to avoid sinath chinam and lashon hara)]. And all who strengthen themselves to correct this sin will have a share in the future Temple; for without them, the Temple would be in ruins forever, G-d forbid.
וְהִנֵּה אִם הָיְתָה לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לִבְנוֹת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְהָיָה צָרִיךְ כֶּסֶף לָזֶה, יָדוּעַ דְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה מְנַדֵּב בְּנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה כָּל מַה שֶּׁבְּכֹחוֹ לָזֶה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ גַּם כֵּן חֵלֶקּ בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וּבְעִנְיָנֵנוּ אֵין צָרִיךְ כֶּסֶף כְּלָל, רַק לְהִתְחַזֵּק לְהִתְרַחֵק מִן הַחֵטְא הֶחָמוּר שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וְשִׂנְאַת חִנָּם, וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּמִדַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יְתֻקַּן הַחֵטְא וְנִזְכֶּה לְבִיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּלְבִנְיַן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.
Now if we were authorized to build the Temple and money were required, it is well known that each Jew would willingly contribute all that he could, so that he, too, would have a share in the Temple. Now, in our case, money is not required at all! Only to strengthen ourselves and to distance ourselves from the grave sin of lashon hara and sinath chinam and to hold onto the trait of shalom. By doing so, the sin will be corrected and we will merit the coming of the Messiah and the building of the Temple.
וְכַמָּה יִתְרוֹמֵם שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה, שֶׁהוּא הָיָה הַסִּבָּה לְבִנְיַן הַבַּיִת, וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא בִּנְחֶמְיָה (פרק ג'), נִרְשְׁמוּ שָׁם לָנֶצַח שְׁמוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁנָּתְנוּ חֵלֶק בַּחוֹמָה שֶׁל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה בַּבַּיִת גּוּפָא.
And how exalted will be the name of that man who was the cause of the rebuilding of the Temple, as we find in Nechemiah (Chapter 3), where are recorded for all time the names of those men who donated a portion of the wall of Jerusalem. How much more so, [one who gives] for the Temple itself!