Sinas Chinam is often translated as baseless hatred, hatred that has no reason. I've never understood that. Who hates with no reason to hate? The Nazi's hated us because as Jews, we're their conscience. The Christians have hated us for being the Chosen People. These may not be valid reasons for hatred, yet they are reasons nonetheless.

When do we find people hating without a reason? I may hate someone because they are usurpingmy uniqueness, my role, or my relationship with my friend. I would never hate someone without reason.

So how can I relate to Chazal's admonition against behaving with baseless hatred?How can I take their words to heart in my own life?

Rabbi Yochanan Zweig mentions the ludicrous story of two sons whose mother died. The younger of the two sons was left an inheritance of $100,000. The older son, furious at his younger brother's windfall, was prepared to spend $200,000 in lawyers fees to fight the validity of the will in court.

What did the older brother have to gain in such a court case? Nothing, except, possibly his pride. Then he doesn't have to feel that his younger brother got something better than him.

This, says Rabbi Zweig, is what baseless hatred is. It's hatred that is completely illogical. Hatred from whom you only lose. There is no logical baseless for such hatred.

With this explanation I can begin to relate to what baseless hatred is. Hatred that is illogical is something I can relate to. I can think of times I may have wanted my sibling not to get a new outfit simply because I wasn't getting one. Was I going to lose because she got one?Not at all. Yet, that baseless, illogical hatred creeps into my life. How many times to I remember feeling a tinge of resentment when a friend or younger girl got engaged. Was I losing out becauseshe was getting engaged? Was she taking the last boy out there and leaving me to die a spinster? Her getting engaged would not harm me at all, and yet I was upset. Why did I hate her for getting engaged? How would I lose? Was the resentment warranted? Was it logical?

And finally I understood how in my life, I may have been engaged in Sinas Chinam. Finally I understand how in my life, I may be playing a small role in preventing the Temple from being rebuild.

For more information, see Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, Thoughts on Tisha B'av, Ohr.edu.