Kamtza and Bar Kamtza etc.

Rabbi Yochanan said: What is the meaning of the verse, “Fortunate is the person who is always afraid, but one who hardens his heart will fall into misfortune”?

Because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, Jerusalem was destroyed. Because of a rooster and a hen, Tur Malka was destroyed. Because of the side of a carriage, Beitar was destroyed.

Because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, Jerusalem was destroyed:

There was a certain man whose friend was named Kamtza and whose enemy was named Bar Kamtza. The man made a feast and said to his servant:

“Go and bring Kamtza to me.”

The servant mistakenly went and brought Bar Kamtza.

When the host arrived at the feast, he found Bar Kamtza sitting there. He said to him:

“You are the enemy of that man—meaning, of me. What are you doing here? Get up and leave.”

Bar Kamtza said to him:

“Since I have already come, allow me to remain, and I will pay you for everything that I eat and drink.”

The host said to him:

“No.”

Bar Kamtza said:

“I will pay you for half of the entire feast.”

The host said:

“No.”

Bar Kamtza said:

“I will pay you for the entire feast.”

The host said:

“No.”

The host took Bar Kamtza by the hand, stood him up, and threw him out.

Bar Kamtza said:

“Since the Rabbis were sitting there and did not protest against what he did, this proves that they approved of it. I will go and slander them before the king.”

He went and said to the Roman emperor:

“The Jews have rebelled against you.”

The emperor said to him:

“Who says that this is true?”

Bar Kamtza said:

“Send them an animal to offer as a sacrifice, and you will see whether they offer it.”

The emperor sent a choice three-year-old calf with Bar Kamtza.

While Bar Kamtza was bringing it, he placed a blemish on its upper lip. Others say that he placed a blemish in the membrane of its eye. This was a place that is considered a blemish according to Jewish law but was not considered a blemish according to Roman standards.

The Rabbis considered offering the animal despite its blemish, for the sake of maintaining peaceful relations with the government.

Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas said to them:

“People will say that blemished animals may be offered upon the Altar!”

The Rabbis then considered killing Bar Kamtza so that he would not return and report to the emperor that they had refused to offer the sacrifice.

Rabbi Zechariah said to them:

“People will say that someone who places a blemish upon a consecrated animal is put to death!”

Rabbi Yochanan said:

“The excessive humility of Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas destroyed our House, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.”

The emperor sent Nero Caesar against them.

As Nero was approaching Jerusalem, he shot an arrow toward the east, and it fell in Jerusalem. He shot one toward the west, and it fell in Jerusalem. He shot arrows toward all four directions of the heavens, and each one fell in Jerusalem.

He said to a young child:

“Recite your verse to me.”

The child said to him:

“I will place My vengeance against Edom in the hand of My people Israel” (Yechezkel 25:14).

Nero said:

“The Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to destroy His House, and He wishes to wipe His hands clean by making that man—meaning me—the instrument of its destruction.”

Nero fled, converted to Judaism, and Rabbi Meir descended from him.

The emperor then sent Vespasian Caesar against the Jews. Vespasian came and laid siege to Jerusalem for three years.

There were three extraordinarily wealthy men in Jerusalem: Nakdimon ben Gurion, Ben Kalba Savua, and Ben Tzitzis HaKeses.

He was called Nakdimon ben Gurion because the sun shone forth for his sake.

He was called Ben Kalba Savua because anyone who entered his home hungry as a dog would leave completely satisfied.

He was called Ben Tzitzis HaKeses because the fringes of his garment would trail over cushions. Others say that his cushion was placed among the prominent men of Rome.

One of these wealthy men said to the people of Jerusalem:

“I will provide them with wheat and barley.”

Another said:

“I will provide them with wine, salt, and oil.”

The third said:

“I will provide them with wood.”

The Rabbis praised the one who offered to provide wood, because Rav Chisda would entrust all his keys to his attendant except the key to the wood storehouse. Rav Chisda said:

“For one storehouse of wheat, sixty storehouses of wood are required.”

These men had enough provisions to sustain the inhabitants of Jerusalem for twenty-one years.

There were militant zealots in Jerusalem. The Rabbis said to them:

“Let us go out and make peace with the Romans.”

The zealots did not allow them to do so.

The zealots said to the Rabbis:

“Let us go out and wage war against them.”

The Rabbis replied:

“The effort will not succeed.”

The zealots arose and burned the storehouses of wheat and barley, and famine followed.

Marta, the daughter of Baitus, was one of the wealthiest women in Jerusalem. She sent her servant and said to him:

“Go and bring me fine flour.”

By the time he went, all the fine flour had been sold.

He returned and told her:

“There is no fine flour, but there is ordinary white flour.”

She said to him:

“Go and bring it to me.”

By the time he went, it had been sold.

He returned and said to her:

“There is no ordinary white flour, but there is coarse flour.”

She said to him:

“Go and bring it to me.”

By the time he went, it had been sold.

He returned and said to her:

“There is no coarse flour, but there is barley flour.”

She said to him:

“Go and bring it to me.”

By the time he went, it too had been sold.

Marta had removed her shoes. She said:

“I will go outside and see whether I can find anything to eat.”

A piece of dung stuck to her foot, and she died from the shock and revulsion.

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai applied to her the verse:

“The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to place the sole of her foot upon the ground” (Devarim 28:56).

Others say that she ate the dried figs of Rabbi Tzadok, became repulsed by them, and died.

Rabbi Tzadok had fasted for forty years so that Jerusalem would not be destroyed. Whenever he ate anything, the food could be seen from the outside through his emaciated body. When he wished to restore his strength, they would bring him dried figs. He would suck out their juice and then throw them away.

When Marta was about to die, she brought out all her gold and silver and threw it into the street. She said:

“Why do I need this?”

This is the meaning of the verse:

“They will throw their silver into the streets” (Yechezkel 7:19).

Abba Sikra was the leader of the zealots in Jerusalem, and he was the son of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s sister.

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai sent him a message:

“Come to me privately.”

Abba Sikra came.

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said to him:

“How long will you continue doing this and killing everyone through famine?”

Abba Sikra replied:

“What can I do? If I say anything to them, they will kill me.”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said:

“Devise a plan for me so that I can leave the city. Perhaps I will be able to bring about at least a small measure of salvation.”

Abba Sikra said to him:

“Pretend to be sick, and let everyone come to visit you. Then bring something foul-smelling and place it beside you, so that people will say that you have died.

“Have only your students carry you out. Do not allow anyone else to carry you, so that the zealots will not notice that you are unusually light. They know that a living person is lighter than a dead person.”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai followed this plan.

Rabbi Eliezer carried him on one side, and Rabbi Yehoshua carried him on the other.

When they reached the gate of the city, the zealots wanted to pierce the body with a weapon to ensure that he was dead.

Abba Sikra said to them:

“People will say that they stabbed their rabbi.”

They then wanted to push him to see whether he would react.

Abba Sikra said to them:

“People will say that they pushed their rabbi.”

They opened the gate for him, and he was taken out of the city.

When Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai reached Vespasian, he said:

“Peace upon you, O king! Peace upon you, O king!”

Vespasian said to him:

“You deserve to be put to death twice. First, I am not a king, yet you called me a king. Second, if I truly am a king, why did you not come to me until now?”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai replied:

“Regarding your statement that you are not a king: in truth, you are a king. If you were not a king, Jerusalem would not be delivered into your hands.

“For it is written:

‘The Lebanon will fall through a mighty one’ (Yeshayahu 10:34).

“The term ‘mighty one’ refers only to a king, as it is written:

‘Their mighty one will be from among them’ (Yirmiyahu 30:21).

“And ‘Lebanon’ refers only to the Beis Hamikdash, as it is stated:

‘This good mountain and the Lebanon’ (Devarim 3:25).

“Regarding your question, ‘If I am a king, why did you not come to me until now?’—the zealots among us would not allow us to leave.”

Vespasian said to him:

“If there were a barrel of honey with a snake wrapped around it, would they not break the barrel in order to kill the snake?”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai remained silent.

Rav Yosef—and some say Rabbi Akiva—applied to him the verse:

“He turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish” (Yeshayahu 44:25).

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai should have answered:

“We would take tongs, grasp the snake, kill it, and leave the barrel intact.”

In the meantime, a messenger arrived from Rome and said to Vespasian:

“Arise, for the emperor has died, and the distinguished men of Rome have decided to appoint you as their leader.”

At that moment, Vespasian had already put on one shoe. He tried to put on the other shoe, but it would not fit. He tried to remove the first shoe, but it would not come off.

He said:

“What is happening?”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said to him:

“Do not be troubled. You have received good news, as it is written:

‘Good news makes the bones fat’ (Mishlei 15:30).

“What is the solution? Have a person whom you dislike pass before you, as it is written:

‘A broken spirit dries the bones’ (Mishlei 17:22).”

Vespasian did so, and the second shoe then fit.

Vespasian said to Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai:

“Since you are so wise, why did you not come to me until now?”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai replied:

“Did I not already explain that to you?”

Vespasian said:

“And did I not already answer you?”

Vespasian then said:

“I am leaving, and I will send another person in my place. Before I go, ask something of me, and I will grant it to you.”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said:

“Give me Yavneh and its Sages, preserve the family line of Rabban Gamliel, and provide physicians to heal Rabbi Tzadok.”

Rav Yosef—and some say Rabbi Akiva—again applied to him the verse:

“He turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish” (Yeshayahu 44:25).

He should have said:

“Spare Jerusalem this time.”

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, however, reasoned:

“Perhaps Vespasian will not grant me such a great request, and then even a small measure of salvation will not be achieved.”

What treatment did the physicians use to heal Rabbi Tzadok?

Vespasian went and sent Titus against Jerusalem.

Regarding Titus, the verse states:

“Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted?” (Devarim 32:37).

This refers to the wicked Titus, who blasphemed and spoke arrogantly against Heaven.

What did he do?

He took a prostitute by the hand and entered the Holy of Holies. He spread out a Sefer Torah and committed a sin upon it.

He then took a sword and slashed the curtain of the Holy of Holies. A miracle occurred, and blood began to spurt out. Titus mistakenly believed that he had killed Hashem Himself.

As it is written:

“Your enemies roared in the midst of Your appointed place; they set up their signs as signs” (Tehillim 74:4).

Abba Chanan said:

“Who is like You, mighty Hashem?” (Tehillim 89:9).

This may be understood to mean:

“Who is like You, so strong and so unyielding?”

You hear the insults and blasphemies of that wicked man, yet You remain silent.

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught:

“Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem?” (Shemos 15:11).

This may be understood as:

“Who is like You among the mute?”

Hashem hears the blasphemies directed against Him, yet remains as though silent.

What did Titus do afterward?

He took the curtain of the Holy of Holies and fashioned it into something resembling a large sack or basket. He gathered all the vessels of the Beis Hamikdash and placed them inside it. He then loaded them onto a ship in order to return home and boast of his victory in his city.

As it is written:

“And so I saw the wicked buried; they came and went from the holy place, and they were forgotten in the city where they had acted so” (Koheles 8:10).

Do not read the word as kevurim, “buried,” but as kevutzim, “gathered together,” referring to the sacred vessels that Titus gathered.

Do not read veyishtak’chu, “and they were forgotten,” but veyishtab’chu, “and they glorified themselves,” for Titus intended to boast in his city about what he had done.

Others explain that the verse means “buried” literally, because even objects that had been hidden away were uncovered and revealed to the Romans.

A great wave arose upon the sea and threatened to drown Titus.

Titus said:

“It appears to me that the power of the God of these people exists only in water.

“Pharaoh came against them, and He drowned him in water. Sisera came against them, and He drowned him in water. Now He is also rising against me to drown me in water.

“If He is truly mighty, let Him come onto dry land and wage war against me there.”

A Heavenly voice called out to him:

“Wicked man, son of a wicked man, descendant of Esav the wicked! I have a lowly creature in My world, and its name is a gnat.”

Why is the gnat called a lowly creature?

Because it has an opening through which it takes food in, but it has no opening through which waste leaves its body.

The Heavenly voice continued:

“Go up onto dry land and wage war against it.”

Titus went up onto dry land.

A gnat came, entered through his nostril, and pecked at his brain for seven years.

One day, Titus was passing by the entrance to a blacksmith’s shop. The gnat heard the sound of the hammer striking the anvil and became silent.

Titus said:

“There is a remedy!”

Every day, he had a blacksmith brought before him to strike with a hammer.

When the blacksmith was a non-Jew, Titus paid him four zuz. When the blacksmith was Jewish, Titus said to him:

“It is enough for you that you are seeing your enemy suffer.”

He followed this practice for thirty days. After that, the gnat became accustomed to the sound and was no longer affected by it.

It was taught that Rabbi Pinchas ben Aruva said:

“I was present among the prominent men of Rome. When Titus died, they opened his skull and found inside it something resembling a sparrow, weighing two sela’im.”

In another teaching it was taught:

“It resembled a year-old pigeon and weighed two litrin.”

Abaye said:

“We have a tradition that its mouth was made of copper and its claws were made of iron.”

As Titus was dying, he instructed his servants:

“Burn that man—meaning me—and scatter his ashes over the seven seas, so that the God of the Jews will not find him and bring him to judgment.”

Onkelos, the son of Kalonikos and the son of Titus’s sister, wished to convert to Judaism.

He went and raised Titus from the dead through sorcery.

Onkelos asked him:

“Who is most highly regarded in that world?”

Titus answered:

“The Jewish people.”

Onkelos asked:

“Should I join them?”

Titus replied:

“Their commandments are numerous, and you will not be able to observe them. Instead, go and provoke them in this world, and you will become a leader.

“As it is written:

‘Her enemies have become the head’ (Eichah 1:5).

“Anyone who oppresses the Jewish people becomes a leader.”

Onkelos asked him:

“What is that man’s punishment?”

Titus replied:

“He is punished with the very sentence that he pronounced upon himself.

“Every day, they gather his ashes, judge him, burn him, and scatter his ashes over the seven seas.”

Onkelos then went and raised Bilaam from the dead through sorcery.

He asked him:

“Who is most highly regarded in that world?”

Bilaam answered:

“The Jewish people.”

Onkelos asked:

“Should I join them?”

Bilaam replied:

“You shall not seek their peace or their welfare all your days” (Devarim 23:7).

Onkelos asked him:

“What is that man’s punishment?”

Bilaam answered:

“He is punished in boiling semen.”

Onkelos then went and raised a sinner of Israel from the dead through sorcery. According to another version, this refers to Jesus.

He asked him:

“Who is most highly regarded in that world?”

He answered:

“The Jewish people.”

Onkelos asked:

“Should I join them?”

He replied:

“Seek their welfare, but do not seek their harm. Anyone who touches them is regarded as though he has touched the pupil of Hashem’s eye.”

Onkelos asked him:

“What is that man’s punishment?”

He answered:

“He is punished in boiling excrement.”

For the Sages said:

“Anyone who mocks the words of the Sages is punished in boiling excrement.”

Come and see the difference between the sinners of Israel and the prophets of the idolatrous nations.

It was taught that Rabbi Elazar said:

“Come and see how great the power of humiliation is. For the Holy One, blessed be He, assisted Bar Kamtza, and as a result, He destroyed His House and burned His Sanctuary.”

Because of a rooster and a hen, Tur Malka was destroyed.

It was their custom that when they escorted a bridegroom and bride, they would bring a rooster and a hen before them, as if to say:

“Be fruitful and multiply like chickens.”

One day, a Roman troop was passing by and took the rooster and hen from them. The Jews attacked the soldiers and struck them.

The soldiers went and told the emperor:

“The Jews have rebelled against you.”

The emperor came against them.

There was among them a certain man from the south who could leap a distance of a mil and kill Roman soldiers.

The emperor removed his crown and placed it on the ground. He said:

“Master of the entire world, if it is pleasing before You, do not deliver that man and his kingdom into the hands of one man.”

The man from the south then stumbled in his speech and said:

“Have You not, O God, rejected us? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies” (Tehillim 60:12).

But did David not also say this?

David said it as a question, expressing astonishment:

“Have You, O God, truly rejected us? Will You not go forth with our armies?”

The man entered the privy. A snake came and pulled out his intestines, and he died.

The emperor said:

“Since a miracle has occurred for me this time, I will leave them alone.”

He left them and departed.

The people then began to celebrate. They ate, drank, and lit so many lamps that the impression of a signet ring could be seen at a distance of a mil.

The emperor said:

“The Jews are rejoicing over me!”

He turned around and again came against them.

Rabbi Asi said:

“Three hundred thousand sword-bearing soldiers entered Tur Malka and killed there for three days and three nights. Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, weddings and celebrations continued, and those on one side did not know what was happening to those on the other.”

Regarding this, the verse states:

“Hashem has swallowed up without compassion all the dwellings of Yaakov” (Eichah 2:2).

When Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael, he said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

This refers to the six hundred thousand cities that King Yannai possessed in Har HaMelech, the King’s Mountain.

For Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav Asi:

“King Yannai had six hundred thousand cities in Har HaMelech. Each one contained a population equal to those who left Egypt, except for three cities, each of which contained twice the number of those who left Egypt.”

These three cities were:

Kefar Bish, Kefar Shichalayim, and Kefar Dichraya.

It was called Kefar Bish, “the bad village,” because its inhabitants would not provide lodging for guests.

It was called Kefar Shichalayim because its inhabitants earned their livelihood from cress.

Regarding Kefar Dichraya, Rabbi Yochanan said:

“The women there would first give birth to boys, then finally give birth to a girl, and afterward cease having children.”

Ulla said:

“I personally saw that place, and it could not hold even six hundred thousand reeds.”

A certain Sadducee said to Rabbi Chanina:

“You are liars.”

Rabbi Chanina replied:

“Regarding Eretz Yisrael, the verse states, ‘a desirable land’—eretz tzvi” (Yirmiyahu 3:19).

“Just as the skin of a deer cannot contain its flesh after it has been removed from the body, so too Eretz Yisrael: when its inhabitants dwell upon it, the land expands; but when they do not dwell upon it, the land contracts.”

Rav Menyomi bar Chilkiyah, Rav Chilkiyah bar Tuvyah, and Rav Huna bar Chiya were sitting together.

They said:

“If anyone has heard an account concerning Kefar Sechnaya of Egypt, let him relate it.”

One of them began and said:

There was an incident involving a betrothed man and his betrothed bride who were taken captive among the idolaters. Their captors married them to one another.

She said to him:

“Please do not touch me, because I do not have a kesubah from you.”

He did not touch her until the day he died.

When he died, she said to the people:

“Eulogize this man, who struggled against his inclination even more than Yosef did.

“For Yosef’s test lasted only a single moment, while this man faced his test every day.

“Yosef was not in the same bed as the woman, while this man was in the same bed with me.

“And the woman in Yosef’s test was not his wife, whereas I was this man’s wife.”

Another of them began and said:

There was an incident in which forty measures of grain were sold for one dinar. The price then rose, and one less measure was given for the same dinar.

They investigated and discovered that a father and his son had violated a betrothed young woman on Yom Kippur.

They brought the two men before Beis Din and stoned them. The price of grain then returned to its previous level.

The third began and said:

There was an incident involving a man who decided to divorce his wife, but her kesubah was for a large sum of money.

What did he do?

He went and invited his companions. He fed them, gave them wine until they became drunk, and placed them together upon one bed.

He then brought egg white and placed it between them. He stationed witnesses to observe them and came before Beis Din, claiming that his wife had committed adultery.

There was an elderly Sage present, one of the students of Shammai the Elder, whose name was Bava ben Buta.

He said to them:

“I have received the following tradition from Shammai the Elder: Egg white contracts when exposed to fire, whereas semen is repelled by fire.”

They tested the substance and found that it was as Bava ben Buta had said.

They brought the husband before Beis Din, administered lashes to him, and compelled him to pay his wife the full amount of her kesubah.

Abaye said to Rav Yosef:

“Since the inhabitants of that place were so righteous, why were they punished?”

Rav Yosef answered:

“Because they did not mourn over Jerusalem.”

As it is written:

“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn for her” (Yeshayahu 66:10).

The Destruction of Beitar

Because of the side shaft of a carriage, Beitar was destroyed.

It was their custom that when a boy was born, they would plant a cedar tree, and when a girl was born, they would plant a cypress tree.

When the boy and girl later married, they would cut down the trees and use their branches to construct the wedding canopy.

One day, the emperor’s daughter was passing by, and the side shaft of her carriage broke.

Her attendants cut down a cedar tree and brought it to repair the carriage.

The Jews came, attacked them, and struck them.

The attendants went and said to the emperor:

“The Jews have rebelled against you.”

The emperor came against them.

Regarding this, the verse states:

“In His fierce anger, He cut down every horn of Israel” (Eichah 2:3).

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rabbi Abahu, who said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

This refers to eighty thousand commanders of military units who entered the city of Beitar when it was captured. They killed men, women, and children, until their blood flowed and emptied into the Great Sea.

Lest you think that Beitar was close to the sea, it was actually a mil away.

It was taught that Rabbi Eliezer the Great said:

“There are two streams in the Valley of Yadayim, one flowing in one direction and the other flowing in the opposite direction. The Sages estimated that after the destruction, the streams contained two parts water and one part blood.”

In another teaching it was taught:

“For seven years, the idolaters harvested their vineyards using the blood of the Jewish people as fertilizer, without requiring any other manure.”

Rabbi Chiya bar Avin said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha:

An elderly man from among the people of Jerusalem told me:

“In this valley, Nevuzaradan, the chief executioner, killed 2,110,000 people. In Jerusalem, he killed 940,000 people upon a single stone, until their blood flowed and touched the blood of the prophet Zechariah.”

This fulfilled what is written:

“Blood touches blood” (Hoshea 4:2).

Nevuzaradan found the blood of Zechariah boiling and rising from the ground.

He asked:

“What is this?”

They said to him:

“It is the blood of sacrifices that was spilled here.”

He brought animal blood and compared it to the blood of Zechariah, but the two did not resemble one another.

He said to them:

“Tell me the truth, and it will be better for you. Otherwise, I will comb your flesh with iron combs.”

They said to him:

“What can we tell you? There was a prophet among us who would rebuke us concerning matters of Heaven. We rose against him and killed him. For many years, his blood has not come to rest.”

Nevuzaradan said to them:

“I will appease him.”

He brought members of the Great Sanhedrin and the lesser Sanhedrin and killed them over Zechariah’s blood, but it did not come to rest.

He brought young men and young women and killed them over it, but it did not come to rest.

He brought young schoolchildren and killed them over it, but it still did not come to rest.

Nevuzaradan then said:

“Zechariah, Zechariah! I have destroyed the finest among them. Is it pleasing to you that I should destroy them all?”

When he said this, the blood came to rest.

At that moment, thoughts of repentance entered his mind.

He said:

“If such punishment was exacted for the death of one person, what will become of that man—meaning myself—who has killed all these souls?”

He fled, sent a document arranging the disposition of his property to his household, and converted to Judaism.

It was taught:

Naaman was a ger toshav, a resident alien who accepted upon himself the basic obligations required of the descendants of Noach.

Nevuzaradan became a complete righteous convert.

Descendants of Haman studied Torah in Bnei Brak.

Descendants of Sisera taught children in Jerusalem.

Descendants of Sancheriv taught Torah publicly.

Who were they?

Shemayah and Avtalyon.

This is the meaning of the verse:

“I have placed her blood upon a bare rock, so that it should not be covered” (Yechezkel 24:8).

The verse states:

“The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are the hands of Esav” (Bereishis 27:22).

“The voice”—this refers to the emperor Hadrian, who killed in Alexandria of Egypt twelve hundred thousand Jews, twice the number who departed from Egypt.

“The voice of Yaakov”—this refers to the emperor Vespasian, who killed four million people in the great city of Beitar. Others say that he killed forty million.

“But the hands are the hands of Esav”—this refers to the wicked Roman kingdom, which destroyed our House, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.

Another interpretation:

“The voice is the voice of Yaakov”—there is no effective prayer in which a descendant of Yaakov does not participate.

“But the hands are the hands of Esav”—there is no victorious war in which a descendant of Esav does not participate.

This accords with what Rabbi Elazar said regarding the verse:

“You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue” (Iyov 5:21).

This means that one will be protected from the instigations and provocations caused by malicious speech.

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav:

What is the meaning of the verse:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept when we remembered Tziyon” (Tehillim 137:1)?

This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed David both the destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash and the destruction of the Second Beis Hamikdash.

The destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash is referred to in the words:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept.”

The destruction of the Second Beis Hamikdash is referred to in the verse:

“Remember, Hashem, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, when they said: ‘Raze it! Raze it to its very foundation!’” (Tehillim 137:7).

The Four Hundred Captive Boys and Girls

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel—and some say that Rabbi Ami said it, while others say that it was taught in a Baraisa:

There was an incident involving four hundred boys and girls who were taken captive for immoral purposes.

They realized why their captors wanted them.

They asked:

“If we drown ourselves in the sea, will we enter the life of the World to Come?”

The oldest among them expounded the verse:

“Hashem said: ‘I will bring back from Bashan; I will bring back from the depths of the sea’” (Tehillim 68:23).

“I will bring back from Bashan” means:

“I will bring them back from between the teeth of the lion.”

“I will bring back from the depths of the sea” refers to those who drown in the sea for the sanctification of Hashem’s name.

When the girls heard this, they all jumped and fell into the sea.

The boys then reasoned through a kal vachomer:

“If these girls, for whom such abuse is considered to be within the natural vulnerability of their sex, acted in this manner, then we, for whom such abuse is entirely unnatural, must certainly do so.”

They too jumped into the sea.

Regarding them, the verse states:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are considered like sheep for slaughter” (Tehillim 44:23).

The Woman and Her Seven Sons

Rav Yehudah said:

The verse refers to a woman and her seven sons.

They brought the first son before the emperor and said to him:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘I am Hashem your God’” (Shemos 20:2).

They took him out and killed him.

They brought the second son before the emperor and said:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’” (Shemos 20:3).

They took him out and killed him.

They brought the third son and said:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘One who sacrifices to the gods shall be destroyed’” (Shemos 22:19).

They took him out and killed him.

They brought the fourth son and said:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘You shall not bow down to another god’” (Shemos 34:14).

They took him out and killed him.

They brought the fifth son and said:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘Hear, O Israel: Hashem is our God; Hashem is One’” (Devarim 6:4).

They took him out and killed him.

They brought the sixth son and said:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘You shall know today and take it to your heart that Hashem is God in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is no other’” (Devarim 4:39).

They took him out and killed him.

They brought the seventh son and said:

“Worship the idol.”

He answered:

“It is written in the Torah: ‘You have declared Hashem today to be your God,’ and, ‘Hashem has declared you today to be His treasured people’” (Devarim 26:17–18).

“We have already sworn to the Holy One, blessed be He, that we will not exchange Him for another god, and He has sworn to us that He will not exchange us for another nation.”

The emperor said to him:

“I will throw my signet ring onto the ground. Bend down and pick it up so that people will say that you have accepted the authority of the king.”

The child said to him:

“Woe to you, emperor! Woe to you, emperor! If you are so concerned for your own honor, how much more must one be concerned for the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He!”

They took him out to kill him.

His mother said to them:

“Give him to me so that I may kiss him briefly.”

She said to him:

“My son, go and tell Avraham your forefather: ‘You bound one offering upon the Altar, while I have bound seven offerings.’”

She too went up onto a roof, fell, and died.

A Heavenly voice emerged and said:

“The joyful mother of children” (Tehillim 113:9).

“For Your Sake We Are Killed All Day”

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

The verse, “For Your sake we are killed all day,” refers to circumcision, which is performed on the eighth day.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said:

It refers to Torah scholars who demonstrate the laws of ritual slaughter upon themselves.

For Rava said:

A person may demonstrate every matter upon himself except ritual slaughter and “another matter”—a euphemistic reference to marital relations.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said:

It refers to Torah scholars who kill themselves through their exertion in the study of Torah.

This accords with the teaching of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, who said:

“The words of Torah endure only in one who kills himself over them.”

As it is stated:

“This is the law of the Torah: When a person dies in a tent” (Bamidbar 19:14).

The Slaughter at Beitar

Rabbah bar bar Chanah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

Forty se’ah of tefillin were found among the severed heads of those killed at Beitar.

Rabbi Yannai, son of Rabbi Yishmael, said:

There were three baskets, each containing forty se’ah.

In a Baraisa it was taught:

There were forty baskets, each containing three se’ah.

These statements do not disagree.

One refers to the tefillin worn upon the head, while the other refers to the tefillin worn upon the arm.

Rabbi Asi said:

Four kav of brains were found upon a single stone.

Ulla said:

Nine kav were found there.

Rav Kahana—and some say Sheila bar Mari—asked:

Which verse alludes to this?

“Daughter of Babylon, who is destined for devastation, fortunate is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Fortunate is the one who seizes and dashes your infants against the rock” (Tehillim 137:8–9).

The Precious Children of Tziyon

The verse states:

“The precious children of Tziyon, who were valued as fine gold” (Eichah 4:2).

What is meant by “valued as fine gold”?

Could it mean that they were covered with gold?

The academy of Rabbi Sheila taught that only two small weights of fine gold descended into the world: one was in Rome, and the other was distributed throughout the rest of the world.

Rather, the verse means that the beauty of the children of Tziyon made even fine gold appear unattractive and inferior.

Originally, prominent Romans would keep an image engraved upon a signet ring before them while engaging in marital relations, so that they would think about its beauty.

Afterward, they would bring beautiful Jewish children, bind them to the legs of their beds, and engage in relations in their presence.

One captive said to another:

“Where is this suffering written in the Torah?”

The other replied:

“Also every sickness and every plague that is not written in this book of the Torah” (Devarim 28:61).

The first asked:

“How far am I from a certain place?”

The other answered:

“A distance of one and one-half parsah.”

He said:

“Had I reached that place, I would not have needed you to tell me the verse, because I would have known it myself.”

The Children of Beitar

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel, quoting Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel:

What is the meaning of the verse:

“My eye causes suffering to my soul because of all the daughters of my city” (Eichah 3:51)?

There were four hundred synagogues in the city of Beitar.

In each synagogue there were four hundred teachers of young children, and before each teacher were four hundred schoolchildren.

When the enemy entered, the children would stab them with their writing implements.

When the enemy ultimately prevailed and captured them, the Romans wrapped the children in their Torah scrolls and set them on fire.

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha

The Sages taught:

There was an incident involving Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananyah, who traveled to the great city of Rome.

They told him:

“There is a child in prison with beautiful eyes, a handsome appearance, and locks of hair arranged in curls.”

Rabbi Yehoshua went and stood at the entrance of the prison.

He recited the beginning of the verse:

“Who gave Yaakov over to plunder and Israel to robbers?” (Yeshayahu 42:24).

The child answered by completing the verse:

“Was it not Hashem, against Whom we sinned? They did not wish to walk in His ways, and they did not listen to His Torah.”

Rabbi Yehoshua said:

“I am certain that this child will become a halachic authority among the Jewish people. By the Temple service, I will not move from here until I redeem him for whatever amount of money they demand.”

They said that he did not leave until he had redeemed the child for a great sum of money.

Only a short time passed before the child became a halachic authority among the Jewish people.

Who was the child?

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha.

The Son and Daughter of Rabbi Yishmael

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav:

There was an incident involving the son and daughter of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha. They were taken captive and sold to two different masters.

After some time, the two masters happened to meet in the same place.

One said:

“I have a male slave whose beauty has no equal in the entire world.”

The other said:

“I have a female slave whose beauty has no equal in the entire world.”

They said:

“Let us marry them to one another and divide their children between us.”

They brought the two captives into a room.

The young man sat in one corner, and the young woman sat in the opposite corner.

The young man said:

“I am a Kohen, the son of Kohanim Gedolim. Shall I marry a maidservant?”

The young woman said:

“I am the daughter of Kohanim Gedolim. Shall I marry a slave?”

They both wept throughout the entire night.

When dawn arose, they recognized one another as brother and sister.

They fell upon one another and cried until their souls departed.

Regarding them, Yirmiyahu lamented:

“Over these things I weep; my eye, my eye pours down water” (Eichah 1:16).

Tzafnas bas Peniel

Reish Lakish said:

There was an incident involving a woman named Tzafnas bas Peniel.

She was called Tzafnas because everyone would gaze upon her beauty.

She was called bas Peniel because she was the daughter of a Kohen Gadol who had served within the innermost chamber of the Beis Hamikdash.

Her captor abused her throughout the night.

The following day, he dressed her in seven garments and took her out to sell her.

An exceptionally ugly man came and said to the captor:

“Show me her beauty.”

The captor said:

“Worthless man! Either purchase her or leave her. There is no woman as beautiful as she in the entire world.”

The man said:

“Nevertheless, I wish to see her.”

The captor removed six of her garments.

She tore the seventh garment herself and rolled in the ashes.

She said before Hashem:

“Master of the universe! If You have not shown compassion toward us, why do You not show compassion for the sanctity of Your mighty name?”

Regarding her, Yirmiyahu lamented:

“Daughter of My people, gird yourself with sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn as for an only child, with bitter lamentation, for the destroyer will suddenly come upon us” (Yirmiyahu 6:26).

The verse does not say, “The destroyer will come upon you,” but rather, “upon us.”

It is as though Hashem says:

“The destroyer has come upon both Me and you.”

The Carpenter’s Apprentice and His Master’s Wife

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav:

What is the meaning of the verse:

“They oppressed a man and his house, a person and his inheritance” (Michah 2:2)?

There was an incident involving a man who desired the wife of his master. He was an apprentice to a carpenter.

On one occasion, his master needed to borrow money.

The apprentice said to him:

“Send your wife to me, and I will lend her the money.”

The carpenter sent his wife to the apprentice.

The apprentice kept her with him for three days.

The husband came to him early and asked:

“Where is my wife, whom I sent to you?”

The apprentice answered:

“I sent her away immediately, but I heard that young men abused her along the road.”

The husband asked:

“What should I do?”

The apprentice answered:

“Take my advice and divorce her.”

The husband said:

“The amount of her kesubah is very large.”

The apprentice said:

“I will lend you the money, and you can pay her kesubah.”

The husband arose and divorced her. The apprentice then went and married her.

When the time came for the carpenter to repay the loan, he did not have the money.

The apprentice said to him:

“Come and work for me in payment of your debt.”

The apprentice and the woman would sit eating and drinking, while her former husband stood before them and served their drinks.

His tears would fall from his eyes and drop into their cups.

At that moment, the decree against Jerusalem was sealed.

Others say that the decree was sealed because of “two wicks in one lamp”—a reference to the woman being associated with both men.