Sinas Chinam – Vain Hatred
It states (3:2) הסנה מתוך אש בלבת אליו 'ה מלאך וירא אכל איננו והסנה באש בוער הסנה והנה וירא, "A malach of Hashem appeared to [Moshe] in a blaze of fire from amid the bush. He saw and behold! The bush was burning in the fire, but the bush was not consumed."
The Kli Yakar says that סנה represents חנם שנאת, senseless and vain hatred. This hatred is the root of all tzaros we endure in galus. We are punished for the sinas chinam, and the tzaros of galus are represented by the burning fire in the bush. אכל איננו והסנה, the bush was not consumed. This means that vain hatred continues. We haven’t yet woken up and realized how much we suffer from the sinas chinam.
Kli Yakar writes, "This is the main reason the Yidden are in galus; because of hatred and the jealousy between them, more than what exists by other nations."
At first, Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t understand why the Jewish nation was destined to suffer in galus. As Rashi (2:14) writes, "[Moshe] always wondered, what sin did Yisrael do worse than the seventy nations that they should be punished with פרך עבודת, extremely difficult work? But now I see that they deserve it." After he saw lashon hara, moser, and sinas chinam among Yidden, he understood that they deserved the punishments they endured.
Later, when Hashem told Moshe that he wanted to save Klal Yisrael, Moshe said (Rashi 3:11), "What merit does the Jewish nation have that a miracle should happen to them, that I should take them out of Mitzrayim?" At first, he didn't understand why they suffered, but later, he didn’t understand why they deserved to be saved! The Sfas Emes (5641) writes, "This tells us, chas veshalom, one loses all his merits by the sin of lashon hara..."
