Thinking Talmudist Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston, Texas. This is the Thinking Talmudist podcast.

All right, good morning everybody, welcome back to the Thinking Talmudist. This episode is going to be fabulous because we're learning a very important piece of Talmud which will outline the reason why the temple was destroyed and And it's a very very fundamental piece of Talmud, it's in tractate Gittin 55b on the bottom Talmud begins as follows I'm Rabbi Yochanan. Rabbi Yochanan said,
And he that hardens his heart will come to harm. The verse is illustrated by the following three episodes in which tragedy struck people because they failed to consider the consequences of their actions. We all know that actions have reactions. You do good, you get good. You do no good, you get no good. How do they say today? They say play stupid games, win stupid prizes, right? This is the way it works. People do silly things, right? Or people do actions and they don't consider the consequences.
It could be devastating. Here is the amazing story. A Kamtza u Bar Kamtza choruv Yerushalayim. As a result of the incident involving Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, Jerusalem was destroyed. A Tarnagola v Tarnagola choruv Tur Malka. As a result of the incident involving a rooster and a hen, Har HaMelech was destroyed. It's a very populated province in the tribe of Judah. And then Ashako v Rispak choruv Betar. And as a result of the incident involving the side of a carriage,
Betar was destroyed. And we know we have the Haruge Betar. We had hundreds of thousands of people were slaughtered in Betar and it was a very very devastating. It was a city of great scholars. It was a city of great Torah wisdom, Torah knowledge. And it was destroyed. For what? We're going to learn about these three stories. So Gomorrah recounts the incident involving Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. A Kamtzo bar Kamtza choruv Yerushalayim. As a result of the incident involving Kamtza and Bar Kamtza,
Jerusalem was destroyed. DaHu Gavra, a certain man, Derach HaMei Kamtza. Ubal Deboevei bar Kamtza. So a certain man who had a friend named Kamtza and an enemy named Bar Kamtza. Ovatzud Osso. He made a banquet. He made a celebration. Omerlei LeShamei, he told his attendant zil aisei li Kamtza. Go and bring Kamtza to join, invite him to join the banquet. Ozzo aisei lei Bar Kamtza. By mistake, what did he do? He went and invited the wrong person. He invited Bar Kamtza instead of Kamtza.
Osso ashkechei Dehavi Yosef, when the host arrived at his banquet, he found the wrong guy sitting there. He saw Bar Kamtza sitting there. Omerlei, he said to Bar Kamtza, mikhti Ahu Gavra bal Deboe de Ahu Gavrahu. He says, look here, that man, you. You're my enemy. You're my enemy. I don't want you here. Why did you come here? I don't want you here. What are you doing here? Kum pok, please get up and get out. I don't want you at my party. Omerlei Bar Kamtza said to him,
since I have already come, I already came to this party, let me stay. V'yohivno lokh demei ma de ochirno v'shosino. He says, I will give you as a, as a recompense, as a payment for everything that I eat and drink at this party. Omerlei, the host says to him, no, no, I will not let you stay. Omerlei Bar Kamtza tells him, V'yohivno lokh demei palgo de su'u dosich. I'm going to pay for half the value of the entire
banquet. Imagine someone makes a wedding. A wedding is expensive. Someone comes to the wedding, you know, like I didn't invite you, leave. He says, listen, I'll pay for my food. He says, I'm sorry, out. He says, I'll pay for half the wedding. Right? Still, Omerlei, he says to him, the host says to him, lo, no, Omerlei, he says back to the host. V'yohivno lokh demei kula su'u dosich. I'm going to give you money for the whole banquet. I'll pay for the whole thing. Just don't
kick me out. Don't embarrass me like that. Omerlei, lo, naktei v'yodei v'ukmei v'afkei. He grabbed hold of Bar Kamtza with his hand. He stood him up and threw him out of the banquet. Omer Bar Kamtza said to himself, hoyo v'havi yasvi rabbonim v'lomar chubei, since the rabbis were seated at the banquet and they did not rebuke him for the way that he treated me, sh'ma mino konichol lehu. We see it's evident that what he did was acceptable to them.
And now, if this is the way the rabbis tolerate someone acting, ezil eichol bei kurtze beimalka. I will go and I will spread slander against the rabbis in the royal palace. Omerlei, he went and told the Caesar, mordu boch yehudoi. The Jewish people have rebelled against you. Omerlei, the Caesar says to him, sh'dar lehu, Omerlei, Bar Kamtza says to him, sh'dar lehu korbono, send them an animal as a sacrifice in their temple, chozis ei mikorvinlei, and see if they offer it in the temple.
Ozal shoder b'yodei, eglot tilso. The Caesar went and sent a very fine calf with Bar Kamtza. Bahadei dekaosi, as he was going to Jerusalem, what did he do? Sh'da bei muma b'niv svasai. Bar Kamtza caused a blemish in the calf's upper lip. Now we know that an animal that has a blemish cannot be brought on the temple as an offering. So here he did a very noticeable, the upper lip, you can't miss it, right? You look at the animal, you see there's a flaw,
there's a blemish. And now this animal cannot be brought as an offering. Ve'amru lo bidukin sheba'ayin, and some say that what he did was he caused it to have a cataract in the eye. He poked it in the eye. Now the eye is not looking right. And dukhta de l'didon havei muma. Either way, he ensured that the blemish was in a place where it was considered a blemish for everyone. And everybody who would see this animal would say
this animal cannot be brought as an offering on the temple, right? So it was an obvious blemish. Ve'lidit hu, lav muma hu. But it was, to those who would know, it would be a blemish, it would be a blemish. But those who wouldn't know, they wouldn't consider it a blemish for offering outside of the temple, although the animal was unfit to be offered in the temple. Savu rabbanu l'karovei. The rabbis considered offering it, mishum shlom alchus, because they were concerned for the sake of peaceful relations with the Roman
government. They were considering, maybe we just bring the offering. Even if it's not a valid offering, we'll do it just for the sake of peace. Because what's going to happen if the Roman Caesar hears that his offering wasn't accepted on the temple? That would be a big offense. That would be a terrible thing. That would not go over well with the Caesar. So they were considering it. Reb Zechariah ben Avkulas. Reb Zechariah, the son of Avkulas,
said to them, yom ru, people are going to say, balei mumen, kreven gabei mizbech. People will see that we brought this animal and they'll come to a conclusion that blemished animals may be offered on the altar in the temple. Savur l'miktelei. Then the rabbis considered maybe just killing Bar Kamtza, because they knew it was a setup. Maybe we'll kill him and that way he won't be able to report back that we didn't bring that offering. Reb Zechariah ben Avkulas says to them,
yom ru, meitil mum, bekot shem yaharek. That perhaps someone will come to a conclusion that if you bring a blemished animal to the temple, then you're warranting a death penalty, which isn't true. So people are going to get the wrong idea. So Reb Yochanan interrupts the story and he just makes an observation here. Omer Reb Yochanan, an v'sonuso sheh Reb Zechariah ben Avkulas, the tolerance displayed by Reb Zechariah ben Avkulas, in refusing to have Bar Kamtza put to death,
he kheriva asmatenu, that destroyed our temple. V'sorfasecholenu, and burned down our sanctuary. V'higlisonu meartzenu, and exiled us from our land. So there's a number of things here that need to be focused on. Number one, is Reb Zechariah, is that our problem? I mean, the commentaries go on and talk a lot about that innocence that was wrong by Reb Zechariah. Then now the whole temple was destroyed because of him. So that's one thing. Yeah, he needed to be a little bit more
accepting. Yeah, we should have brought that offering. Or we should have put him to death because he's going to threaten the entire existence of the Jewish people. That's definitely, you take one instead of taking many. But why isn't there a comment here from Reb Yochanan about the rabbis who didn't do anything at that party? Shouldn't they have said something? Shouldn't they have said something? That's something that we should have a comment about. That's something that should have
been mentioned. Why wasn't it mentioned? Our Seders want us to be disturbed by this. Our Seders want us, yeah, but you know what? If you saw something like this, if you came to a wedding and someone, you see the bride's dad comes out and he says, what are you doing here? Mr. Joe Schmo, what are you doing here? You're my enemy. Get out. And everyone, it's a whole commotion. Get out of my daughter's wedding. Get out. Wouldn't somebody go over and say, you know, Mr. Poor guy,
like, what are you throwing him out? What are you humiliating him? Why are you doing this? Just like it's like, let bygones be, you'll find a way. Put him in the back. Put him at the back table. Why? It's obvious that it's wrong. It's obvious that what he did by throwing him out is wrong. That's not the way we act. That's not the way we behave. So why didn't the Rabbis say anything? The Rabbis didn't say anything because they probably didn't notice it.
If the Rabbis would have noticed it, I have no doubt that the Rabbis would have said something. No doubt. But they didn't see it. So maybe they should have looked. Maybe they should, I don't know. We're not there. They were much greater than we are. So we can't criticize them. But it's definitely something that should bother us. That when we see an injustice, it's like they do these studies in New York City with people mugging someone in broad daylight in front of you.
Everyone just keeps on going. Just keeps on going. No worries. Don't ask, don't tell. Don't get involved. It's not my issue. You see people getting mugged on the train, not my issue. I'm not looking. I just want to get home safely. Leave me alone. That's not the way we should act. When you see someone else being harmed, you should stand up and do something. Say something at least. Say this is inappropriate behavior. So here now the Talmud now continues.
Well, the Mesil Sisharm talks about this. The Orchid Siddiqum talks about this. Many of the Musa masters talk about this story and say how this was wrongful humility. It was wrongful innocence. What do you mean? Don't be so innocent and do what's right. The entire temple is going to be destroyed because of this. What are you having mercy on? So now the Gemara continues. Shadar Ilovayu Lilin Neron Kesar. He sent against them to Nero the Caesar and Nero
set out to attack Jerusalem. He was so angered that his offering was not accepted by the Jewish people. I sent him the choicest of animals. He didn't know that on the way Bar Kamtza blemished the animal. He didn't know that. He shot an arrow towards the east and it fell in Jerusalem. He shot one towards the west and it fell in Jerusalem. He shot an arrow towards each of the four directions and each one fell in Jerusalem.
He asked the young boy, tell me your verse. Meaning the verse you are currently studying. The boy said to him, I will take my revenge against Edom through the agency of my people Israel. God will ultimately punish Edom for their treatment of the Jewish nation through the agency of his people. He said to himself, The holy one, Hashem, blessed is he, wants to destroy his house. And he wants to wipe his hands clean of that man, meaning me. He ran away and converted to Judaism.
And the Nephi, Menei, Reb Meir, and Reb Meir descended from him. Since God had decreed that Jerusalem be destroyed, why would Nero be punished for, in effect, fulfilling God's will? So this is a known question, okay? Can anybody harm the Jewish people if it weren't for a decree from heaven? No, you can't harm the Jewish people if God decides that they will be harmed. So what did he do wrong? God wanted them. It's almost the question that people ask.
Well, if God decreed that the Holocaust should happen, then why is Hitler to be blamed? He just did the service of God, so to speak. Obviously, that's nonsense. Because, yes, there was a decree in heaven that that terrible tragedy should happen. Definitely was. But God didn't say that you should do it. Yeah, there was the decree. He says, no, no, no, I'm going to take this one. I want that. I want to do this. That's what they'll be punished for.
They're going to rot in hell for forever. They will. But you didn't need to be the one to jump to do it. And you did. And for that reason, you're going to be punished. Nero, even though it was a decree from heaven, why did he need to do it? Ah, because you wanted to. Because you wanted to. And you just had an excuse now to do it. This is a devastating thing. So he did shuva. He says, according to some opinions,
the Gemara refers to Nero Caesar. Although secular history records Nero Caesar as having died in office in the year 68 Common Era, two years before the destruction of the Temple, it is possible that, in fact, he disappeared and it was merely assumed that he had died. The Gemara Antinous gives a similar explanation for certain historical events of the death of that he didn't really die, but he just was out of their view. They didn't see him anymore. OK, the Gemara now continues.
Caesar sent him, Vespasian Caesar, against the Jews. Vespasian came and besieged Jerusalem for three years. And there were three very wealthy men in Jerusalem. Naktimon ben Gurion, Naktimon, the son of Gurion, and Ben Tzitzis Hakeses. These are the three people. Now the Gemara is going to explain their names. OK, very interesting names. Naktimon ben Gurion was so-called why? Because it once happened that the sun miraculously pierced Naktimon, the clouds on his behalf.
What's that story? The sun was made to shine in the sky after sunset had passed. So then Naktimon's repayment of a loan that he had incurred on behalf of the people would not be considered late. Right? So he came to pay. They're like, it's late. It's late. You're paying back your debt late. We're going to charge you an interest now. We're going to penalize the people. He says, no, no, no, it's still light. Look. They look up and they see the sun piercing through the clouds,
even though it was nighttime already. Special miracle. Ben Kalba Savua. What is Ben Kalba Savua? Why was he called that name? Anybody who would come into his house hungry like a dog, like a Kalba, would leave satisfied like a Savua, which means completely satiated. Why was he called that? Because when he walked, his tzitzis trailed behind him on cushions. He walked only on cushions fashioned from fine fabrics. Some say that he was given the name because his seat cushion, his keses, was placed among the nobles of Rome.
And why does it say that he was hungry like a dog? So the Gemara in Shabbos explains that a dog is hungrier than other animals because it has less food available to him than any other animal. So now the Gemara continues. One of these three rich men said to the rabbis, I will sustain the people with wheat and barley. And one, another person said, I will supply them with wine, salt, and oil. And one said, I will supply them with wood so that they can warm up their homes.
And the rabbis gave special praise to the one who promised the wood. Why? His pledge was the most generous. Why? Because wood was required in a greater quantity than the food. You need a lot of wood for a lot of homes. That was a greater, I think it might also be because the bread and water people are always concerned for. So you have many people who are willing to do it, but not everyone's willing to pay the electric bill. The rabbi entrusted all his keys to his attendant,
except for the key for the storehouse of wood. The rabbi said, to bake a storehouse full of wheat into bread requires 60 storehouses of wood. So that means my wood is so important because you're not going to be able to do anything if you don't have that wood. You're not going to have the wood for the ovens. You're not going to have the wood for the homes. You're not going to be able to, right? So it was very, very, very precious.
These three men had enough supplies to sustain all the residents of Jerusalem for 21 years. Very wealthy people. It's like in this week, it's an interesting thing that we talk about this just this week. We had a fine Jewish couple, Michael Dell and his wife, Susan, donated $6.25 billion to put into the Trump accounts, which is for children from lower income families with 150,000 income and below from certain area codes that whatever, and that would give a, no, I don't know how much, but it would give for 25 million
children. It would give them money that when they're born, they get it. When they're 18, all of that interest, all of that would be ready for them to have a, which is an unbelievable thing. And they say that there are many, many more billionaires that are going to be matching that and putting it in. And that's a completely selfless act. They're doing that for what? He made good money selling computers. I'm sure we all bought a Dell computer at one point or another.
We bought chips. We bought whatever else it may have been from Dell technologies. And he's giving it back. He's giving it back to the future, which is an incredible thing that people who have need to feel a responsibility to give. It's a really important thing. If you have, you must give, you must give. That's why Hashem gives it to you. Hashem gives it to you. Now everyone can determine for themselves what's the best way to give it. Is it to give it to 25 million children?
Is it to give it to a school, to a synagogue, to a family? Who should be the recipient? That every person should have their own calculation and ask Hashem for guidance as to the best way to give their blessing to others. However, so that 21 years they can support the entire Jerusalem. However, there were a few baryone. Baryone are boors, empty people with the propensity towards violence. They said, the rabbi said to them, let us go out and make peace with the Romans.
Would not let them do so. They said to the rabbis, let us go out and wage war against the Romans, not peace. Let's fight with them. The rabbi said, it will not be successful. It's not going to be a successful battle. Why are you trying to fight against the Romans? The baryone arose and burned down the storehouses of wheat and barley and wood. And there was a famine in the city. You know, it's an interesting thing. Sometimes you see people, you know, we live in a country
which has the freedom of speech. It's a really special, a special thing. It's a special gift that we have in the United States, in these United States of America. It's an amazing gift that we have the ability to say whatever you want. You can say whatever you want. But the Jewish people sometimes have an issue that we don't, you know, the last week's Torah portion, we saw that Jacob went and tricked his father so that he can get the blessing from Esau. The father says,
the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands, they're the hands of Esau. What does that mean? The voice. He hears Jacob talking. It sounds like Jacob. But when he touched him, when he felt him, he says the hands are Esau. Violence is not a Jewish trait. Violence is not a Jewish trait. Words, influence with words, that is a Jewish trait. And when the Jews get confused, yeah, you'll find here and there, you'll find a Jewish guy who's a
a boxer or a, you know, one of these fighters, but it's not a Jewish trait. The Jewish trait is to use our words, our persuasion. It's not a Jewish trait to fight. And when we do, it never turns out good for us. It never turns out good for us. I know someone asked my rabbi, he says, should Jewish people get guns? You know, we're not 80 years out of the Holocaust. Maybe we should learn a thing from then. Maybe everyone
should carry an arm, a weapon. Rabbi said, you have to know yourself. Sometimes Jews have a crazy imagination. They can do things that are not good. You have to know yourself. You have to know what your place is. You have to know what you're capable of. If you have the right demeanor, then maybe. But if you don't, you got to be careful. That's not our strong suit. It's not our strong suit to be violent, to be warriors. That's not our thing. We're much better in
politics. We're much better, again, with our words, with persuasion. So they burnt down everything. There was a famine in the city. The Gemara relates one of the tragic effects of the famine. Martha, the daughter of Botus, was the wealthiest woman in Jerusalem. She sent out her agent saying to him, go out and bring some bread made of fine flour. By the time he went to go get the bread made of fine flour, it was already sold out. He went back and told her.
He says, I can get you bread, white bread, but I can't get you the fine bread. She said to him, go and bring some white bread. When he went, when the agent went out, already there was no more white bread. He told her there's no more white bread either. There's no more white bread, but there is coarse bread. Go get it. By the time he went, there was no more coarse bread left. He told her, but there is barley flour.
She said to him, go get the barley flour. By the time he went out, there was no more barley flour. It was all sold. Although she was not wearing her shoes, she said, I will go out and see whether I can find anything to eat. Some animal bit her in her foot and she became nauseous and she died. Rabbi Yochanan Matzakai recited the following verse about her. The delicate and pampered woman amongst you who never ventured to set the soul of her foot upon the ground.
This is from Deuteronomy. The verse appears in the context of the prophecy that foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. So we see that there was a devastating result here that transpired because of this. I mean, you can imagine the famine. I don't understand this agent that she had. Like, just get what there is. Like, you know, you have to go back every time and ask her. I guess he knew what his master wanted.
And if he came with something that was less than she had approved, she'd get upset or whatever. You know, when you're dealing with a famine, it's not the time to... All right, an alternative version of the cause of Martha's death. She ate the dried figs of Rav Tzadok and she became nauseous and died from that. Okay, different version. The reference to Rav Tzadok is explained. Okay, Rav Tzadok fasted for 40 years. That doesn't mean he fasted for 40 years straight. Obviously, you can't live like that.
But he fasted during the day. He only ate at night. He fasted for 40 years. Obviously, you don't fast on Shabbos either. But for 40 years he fasted. Why did he fast? So that Jerusalem should not be destroyed. He was so thin that when he ate anything, it could be seen from the outside going down his throat. That's how skinny he was. When he nourished himself after concluding his fast, since he was not able to consume solids, they brought him dried figs.
And he would suck out their moisture and then discard them. The Gemara concludes the story with Martha, the daughter of Botu, when she was dying. She took all of the gold and silver that she had. And she threw it into the marketplace. She said what do I need all of it for? If I can't get bread, what do I need the money for? What do I need the gold? What do I need the silver? I don't need it.
And this is fulfilling the verse that states in a prophecy, that they will throw their silver into the streets because it's not going to be worth anything. If you don't have money, it's only worth something if you can buy something with it. But if you can't buy anything, what's money worth? Right? So she threw it out. And this is a prophecy that the prophecy says that the time of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem,
people will just throw their gold and silver into the streets. And they will throw their silver into the streets. And they will throw their gold and silver into the streets. People will just throw their gold and silver out onto the streets. It's not going to be worth anything. So now the Gemara returns to the original story. She says Abba Sikra, the head of these violent gangs in Jerusalem, was the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's sister. He was his nephew.
The nephew of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai sent the following message to him. Come to me quietly. Come in a secret, discreetly. Don't tell anybody that you're coming here. Also, Abba Sikra, the head of the violent gang, comes to his uncle, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. How long are you going to act like this? And kill everyone through starvation? Omar Leo, Abba Sikra, told him. What can I do? If I say anything to my gang,
that is contrary to their agenda, they're going to kill me. Which, by the way, happens a lot in politics. Right, where politicians believe one way and they'll tell you this is what I what am I gonna tell my voters? What am I gonna tell my voters? What am I gonna tell my advisors? What am I gonna? What am I gonna tell my people? Omar Laird, Yohanan B'Tzaka, said to him Chazi li takanto lididi de'efuk, find a way for me to get out of the city
Efshar dehavi hatzol upurto, perhaps There will be a small measure of salvation Omar Laird, Yohanan B'Tzaka, said to him, nekot nafshecho b'k'tziri, he says make yourself out to be sick Ve'lei siku le'amo Ve'lei shai lubach, and let everyone come and ask about you, ve'ai simidi saryo Ve'agnei gaboch, then take something that smells bad Such as the carcass of an animal and lay it down next to you in your bed Ve'lei merudonokh nafshe, and they're gonna say, oh he died
And that his body began to decompose and smell Ve'lei a'ilu bach talmidach, then let your students enter and take hold of your bed and carry it out Ve'lo le'ail bach nafshe achrino, and do not let anyone else enter and carry your bed De'lo lirgishon bach de'kol il'at That they shouldn't expect, because anybody else who holds your bed Will notice, you know, dead weight, you know why it's called dead weight? Because a dead body weighs heavier than a living body
So they're gonna pick up your your coffin, so to speak, or your bed, and they're gonna feel that it's lighter So they shouldn't ask any questions De'inu yadi de'chai ya'kol il'mimesi, for the biryonei know that a living person feels lighter than a corpse Avid hachi, so Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai did as he was advised Ni'chnas bo Rebbe Leazar mitzad echad Rebbe Yeshua mitzad echad, Rebbe Leazar's student entered and took one side of his bed
And Rabbi Yeshua took the other side. They carried the bed to the gate of the city Ki matu le'pitcho bo le'midkerei when they reached the gate the Mobsters that were watching the gate that were guarding the gate Wanted to stab Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai with spears to make sure that he was really dead Is he really dead? Amar lehu Abba Sikra said to them Yo meru Rabbon dakru, shall the Romans say that the Jews stabbed their rabbi? Bo le'midkerei
The biryonei wanted to shove Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai to see whether he would cry out. We'll throw him off let's see a dead a dead person thrown off a gurney thrown off a a Stretcher won't cry won't make any noise if he's living and he will let's see if that works Amar lehu Abba Sikra the head Mobster his nephew says yo meru Rabbon dakru Again, the the Romans are gonna say that that's the way you cheat rabbi you shove him off off his bed Paschule Bava nafak
The biryonei finally opened the gate for him and he was carried out Kimat aloha, so when Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai reached the Roman camp Amar shlomo aloh malchah shlomo aloh malchah. He went to Vespasian and he said peace be upon you. Oh King peace be upon you. Oh King Amar lehu Vespasian said to him Mi chayav es trey ktolo You are liable to death on two different accounts chada first dilav malchah anoh
V'kukar is li malchah first is I'm not a king and you're mocking me by calling me a king So that's the first reason you should be put to death. Vesu adiv furthermore I malchah anoh if I am the king Ad hoidno amay loy osis legaboy. Why did you not come until now now you show up? Amar lehu Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai said to him Dikah amart Lav malchah anoh. To that which you say that you're not a king
Ibra malchah at. The truth is that you are destined to be a king Di ilav malchah at because if you're not destined to be the king lo mim sirah yoshlayim biyadokh Jerusalem would not have been delivered to your hands Dikhsiv v'halavonon V'halavonon Ba'adir yipol. The lavonon will fall to a mighty one. V'ein adir el melech. We know a mighty one is always Translated To mean a king Dikhsiv v'hu adiro mimeno as the verse states he brings a verse to back this up
V'ein lavonon ella besa mikdosh and lavonon is always Referring to the temple shenema and he brings a verse to back that up as well. Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai now Responds to the second accusation. What was the second accusation? Now you come? You wait all this long to come now? He says in the Koran, it's in that which you say Ano malchah ano amai lo kaosi. Kaosi slagaboi Why didn't I come till now? The answer is B'yoni di izbon lo shavkino
The mobsters that were guarding the city of Jerusalem The violent ones they didn't let us leave Amar le, so he says to Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai Ilu chovis shel dvash u'drokoin koruch oleho lo hoyu shovrin esa chovis b'shvil drokoin If there is a keg of honey and a dangerous snake was pursuing it one would not break the keg because of the snake So that the snake will go away Right. Likewise, you should have destroyed the walls of the city so that these violent ones
Should be drawn out. Ishtik, Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai was silent. So now the Gemara comments on his silence Korri alei Rebbe Yossi v'itei me Rebbe Kiva Rebbe Yossif, and as some say he was Rebbe Kiva, recited the following verse about Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai He, G-d, turns wise men backwards and makes their thinking foolish Why? Because he should have answered He should have said something Why does Hashem sometimes take the words away from the sages? Anybody know why? Why does Hashem sometimes take
Typically, you ever have an experience where you just like you can't find your words. You don't know what to say. You're speechless, right? so It happens to the sages as punishment for the For the people's sins. G-d took away Rebbe Yochanan's ability to answer Yiboy elei l'mem alei, Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai should have answered If a dangerous snake were in pursuit of a keg of honey We would take tongs, grab hold of the snake and kill it Shaklino tzivah so, v'shaklino elei l'drakon
v'katlino elei, v'chavis o'shavkin elei, and we would have we would leave the keg intact and This would answer the question, right? The Rebbe's argument That they should have destroyed the city walls so that the violent gang could be expelled We wouldn't, we don't break the wall, right? Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai should have responded that they were waiting for an opportunity to drive out The Rebbe without having to destroy the city. That's what they were looking for. Okay So we're gonna continue this, G-d willing, next week. We're gonna continue this piece.

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