Dor HaMabul’s flaunting of Hillel’s golden rule[1]
ותשחת הארץ לפני האלקים ותמלא הארץ חמס
The world became corrupted before G-d, and the world was filled with violent theft[2]
Everyone knows about the flood in the generation of Noach. However, what’s less known is that our Sages tell us that despite all of the lewd, corrupt behavior, and idol worship that occurred during that generation known as the dor hamabul, their fate was only sealed due to their sin of violent theft[3]. They would forcefully take things from their fellow, sometimes even paying for it[4], but without permission. Why is this the sin which would cause the destruction of all of mankind?