Why was the Beis Hamikdash destroyed?

Why was the Beis hamikdash destroyed? Can someone please remind me!

Hello world full of hate, why can’t we look at some positive things for once. All the nasty comments about the Tefilla gathering and chareidim are really depressing me. So I hope this article will brighten up everyone’s day and create some good feeling between the deep divides of our nation.

I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with Chareidim, and have also had a chip on my shoulder for many years towards certain groups. But now I will focus not on the few negative events and people that happened to cross my path, but on the positive experiences and scenes I’ve witnessed over the years. I’m also inviting you all; please share positive experiences you have that may help close the deep chasm that is splitting the Jewish people.

A few years back on a lovely Shavuos evening whilst staying in hotel with my family in Netanya, I somehow ended up eating some fish. Now for normal people fish is a wonderful and healthy part of a well-balanced diet. I however am highly allergic and found myself hurtling down the road in an ambulance towards Laniado hospital. During my short stay thank G-d , a man came round the emergency room visiting patients. NO he wasn’t a doctor or a nurse he was a Sanzer Chassid doing Bikur Cholim and cheering up the poor souls like myself who somehow ended up in the hospital over Yom tov.

My next example is a more serious scene. Friday night a synagogue in Warsaw. The synagogue was filled with Jews of all stripes and colors, either holding prayer books or just listening to the voices of the ones who knew how. Upstairs my group of religious seminary girls were singing and dancing with a secular group of Israeli girls. After the kabalat Shabbat prayers, they began to ask us question after question their curiosity held no bounds. Soon the men downstairs reached Krias shema, so I said to the girls why don’t we all say shema. They looked at me with questioning eyes and asked how to say it. Step by step I explained how to take the right hand over the eyes and say the timeless word “Shema Yisrael…”

I was blown away at how they came from Israel and the lack of connection to the Jewish people. Afterwards they said in Hebrew “chaval that we’re not staying in the same place as your group”. This opened my eyes to the positivity of religion you can exude just by being yourself and showing some care.

Currently I am studying in a Chareidi College, the Professors range from Chiloni to Chareidi. The girls come from all different backgrounds, religiously and culturally. You will find English (that’s me) learning with French, quite unbelievable. There are Americans, Russians, Moroccan’s and Israelis. Yet we learn a whole range of quite controversial courses together and somehow still respect each other. I’m really not bothered if the woman in front of me has her skirt down to her mid-calf and she’s not bothered that another woman doesn’t cover her hair fully. I love each woman for her intelligent ideas and new perspectives that she has to offer even if I don’t always agree with them. The same goes for my non-religious Professors from whom I can open my eyes to a whole new world of ideas and yet still stay steadfast in my beliefs.

Please share any more stories, ideas or experiences you may have that will help connect the different groups that make up the identity of Eretz Yisrael.