Devarim: Sefer Hayashar

כתיב (שמואל ב א, יח) ויאמר ללמד בני יהודה קשת הנה כתובה על ספר הישר מאי ספר הישר ר"א אומר זה ספר משנה תורה ואמאי קרו ליה ספר הישר דכתיב (דברים ו, יח) ועשית הישר והטוב בעיני ה (Avodah Zarah 25a skipping a few opinions.)  The Maharsha asks why is one verse a reason to call the entire Book ספר הישר?  He explains that the entire Book reflects the constant idea of doing לפנים משורת הדין.  The Gemorah in Babba Metziah (30b) says that Yerushalim was destroyed because they didn’t act לפנים משורת הדין, they did according to the letter of the law.  Tosfos asks that the Gemorah Yoma (9b) says the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of the three cardinal sins?  We can understand that one is an outgrowth of the other.  One who insists in merely following the strict letter of the law, without feeling the need to do above and beyond to help one who needs will eventually stop following the law as well.  Without feelings for another individual that they need to be helped or aided more than the basic law dictates, eventually leads to a complete breakdown in morals.

The possuk in Yechezkal (16:49) describes the sin of Sedom as follows:  הִנֵּה־זֶ֣ה הָיָ֔ה עֲו‍ֹ֖ן סְדֹ֣ם אֲחוֹתֵ֑ךְ גָּא֨וֹן שִׂבְעַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְשַׁלְוַ֣ת הַשְׁקֵ֗ט הָ֚יָה לָהּ֙ וְלִבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְיַד־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֖וֹן לֹ֥א הֶֽחֱזִֽיקָה:  The midrashim describe Sedom as a perverted society with institutional crime ; their sins were more than just not helping a pauper?  The possuk is looking at the root cause.  It started with making it sociable not to give charity.  Once there are no feelings for another individual, then all morals come crashing down.  In Eicha (4:6) we again find the comparison to Sedom: וַיִּגְדַּל֙ עֲוֹ֣ן בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מֵֽחַטַּ֖את סְדֹ֑ם הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣ה כְמוֹ־רָ֔גַע וְלֹא־חָ֥לוּ בָ֖הּ יָדָֽיִם.  The possuk points out that the breakdown of society was worse than Sedom.