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Comments on Why is "chinam" translated as "baseless"?

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Why is "chinam" translated as "baseless"?

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Everywhere that the term חנם appears, as far as I can tell, it always means "without personal benefit": a שומר חנם (Bava Metzia 7:8) watches an object without receiving anything in return; a Jewish slave leaves at the end of his or her term חנם, without having to pay anything more (Shemos 21:2 and Shemos 21:11); Lavan said to Yaakov that he refused to allow him to work חנם, without receiving wages (Bereishis 29:15); Yonasan plead to his father Sha'ul that he not kill David חנם, for no benefit (Shmuel I:19:5); David says to Aronah that he will not take the future Har HaBayis חנם, without paying for it (Shmuel II:24:24); Yeshaya promises that just as we were sold חנם, we will be redeemed without paying (Yeshayahu 52:3); etc.

Yet when the term חנם is used in relation to Tisha B'av, the term tends to be translated as "baseless." The second Churban was caused by שנאת חנם (Yoma 9b.8); the term seemingly should mean "hatred without benefit," not "hatred without cause." The Jews in the desert cried upon the Spies' report a בכיה של חנם (Taanit 29a.7); the term seemingly should mean "crying without benefit," not "crying without cause."

Yet "without cause" is exactly how these phrases tend to be translated (ex. Aish, Chabad). Where does this translation of חנם come from?

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1 comment thread

General comments (8 comments)
General comments
rosends‭ wrote over 4 years ago
DonielF‭ wrote over 4 years ago

@rosends טובים שנים יותר מן האחד. I’m glad I’m not alone in noticing this.

robev‭ wrote over 4 years ago

Doesn't חנם mean free? As in, without anything with it? So sinas chinam is just hatred, no motivation with it (in English: baseless)

DonielF‭ wrote over 4 years ago

@robev Free in the sense of nothing in return, not free in the sense of nothing prompting it. Lavan asked Yaakov why the fact they were brothers should mean he should work חנם – but if it means free from motivation, the fact that they’re brothers itself is motivation and thus חנם could not apply.

Dr. Shmuel‭ wrote over 4 years ago

Your're right, I think I'll be adopting wanton hatred going forwards: https://www.sefaria.org/Kad_HaKemach%2C_Wanton_Hatred.1?lang=en

DonielF‭ wrote over 4 years ago

@Dr.Shmuel There too (in Nedarim) it clearly means “without anything in return,” not “without cause.” Moshe clearly had a desire to teach them; he didn’t give them the Torah for no reason. But he didn’t get anything in return.

Skipping 1 deleted comment.

David‭ wrote about 4 years ago

The Jastrow entry, just for the record (I hope to come back to this):

https://www.sefaria.org/Jastrow%2C_%D7%97%D6%B4%D7%A0%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9D?lang=bi