Pt2 Answering Amen, Schoolchildren’s Study, and the Causes of Jerusalem’s Destruction (Shabbat 119b)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

Why Jerusalem was destroyed

Abaye - Jerusalem was destroyed because Shabbat was desecrated - Ezek 22:26

(See footnote.)¹

אמר אביי:

לא חרבה ירושלים

אלא בשביל שחללו בה את השבת,

שנאמר:

״ומשבתותי העלימו עיניהם

ואחל בתוכם״.

Abaye said:

Jerusalem was destroyed (in the 6th century BCE)

only because people desecrated the Shabbat in it,

as it is stated:

“And from My Shabbatot they averted their eyes,

and I was profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26).

Several punishments were decreed to befall Jerusalem as punishment for this transgression.

R’ Abbahu - Jerusalem was destroyed because people intentionally omitted Shema morning and evening

אמר רבי אבהו:

לא חרבה ירושלים

אלא בשביל שביטלו קריאת שמע שחרית וערבית,

The Talmud suggests additional reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem.

R’ Abbahu said:

Jerusalem was destroyed

only because its citizens intentionally omitted recitation of Shema morning and evening,

Prooftext - Isa 5:11–13

1. שנאמר:

   1. ״הוי משכימי בבקר שכר ירדפו וגו׳״,

2. וכתיב:

   1. ״והיה כנור ונבל, תוף וחליל, ויין משתיהם, ואת פועל ה׳ לא יביטו״,

3. וכתיב:

   1. ״לכן גלה עמי מבלי דעת״.

1. as it is stated:

   1. “Woe to those who rise early in the morning and pursue the drink and are aflame from wine until late in the evening” (Isaiah 5:11).

2. And it is written in the continuation of that passage:

   1. “And their drinking parties have lyre and lute, drum and flute and wine, and they do not look upon the actions of God, and they do not see His hands’ creations” (Isaiah 5:12).

   2. This means that in the morning and evening, when the Jews should have been reciting Shema, they were drinking wine and liquor.

3. And it is written in that passage:

   1. “Therefore My nation is being exiled for its ignorance; its honor will die of hunger and its multitudes will be parched with thirst” (Isaiah 5:13).

Rav Hamnuna - Jerusalem was destroyed because children’s Torah study was interrupted

אמר רב המנונא:

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא

בשביל שביטלו בה תינוקות של בית רבן,

Rav Hamnuna said:

Jerusalem was destroyed only

because schoolchildren there were interrupted from studying Torah,

Prooftext - Jer 6:11

שנאמר:

״שפוך על עולל בחוץ וגו׳״.

מה טעם ״שפוך״?

משום ד״עולל בחוץ״.

as it is stated:

“And I am filled with the wrath of God, I cannot contain it, pour it onto the infants in the street and onto the gathering of youths together, for men and women alike will be captured, the elderly along with those of advanced years” (Jeremiah 6:11).

Rav Hamnuna explains: What is the reason that the wrath is poured?

It is because infants are outside in the streets and are not studying Torah.

Ulla - Jerusalem was destroyed because people lacked shame before each other - Jer 6:15

אמר עולא:

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא

מפני שלא היה להם בושת פנים זה מזה,

שנאמר:

״הובישו

כי תועבה עשו

גם בוש לא יבושו וגו׳״.

Ulla said:

Jerusalem was destroyed only

because people had no shame before each other,

as it is stated:

“They acted shamefully;

they have performed abominations,

yet they neither were ashamed nor did they know humiliation.

Therefore, they will fall among the fallen, they will fail at the time that I punish them, said God” (Jeremiah 6:15).

R’ Yitzḥak - Jerusalem was destroyed because “small and great were equated” (status distinctions collapsed)

אמר רבי יצחק:

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא

בשביל שהושוו קטן וגדול,

R’ Yitzḥak said:

Jerusalem was destroyed only because its small and the great citizens were equated.

They did not properly value the prominent leaders of their generation,

Prooftext - Isa 24:2–3

• שנאמר:

  • ״והיה כעם ככהן״,

• וכתיב בתריה:

  • ״הבוק תבוק הארץ״.

• as it is stated:

  • “And the common people were like the priest, the slave like his master, the female slave like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the one indebted to him” (Isaiah 24:2).

• And it is written afterward:

  • “The land shall be utterly desolate and completely plundered, for God has said this” (Isaiah 24:3).

Rav Amram b. Shimon b. Abba citing R’ Shimon b. Abba citing R’ Ḥanina - Jerusalem was destroyed because people did not rebuke one another

1. אמר רב עמרם בריה דרבי שמעון בר אבא,

2. אמר רבי שמעון בר אבא,

3. אמר רבי חנינא:

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא

בשביל שלא הוכיחו זה את זה,

1. Rav Amram, son of R’ Shimon bar Abba,

2. said that R’ Shimon bar Abba said that

3. R’ Ḥanina said:

Jerusalem was destroyed only

because the people did not rebuke one another,

Prooftext - a deer-grazing image to describe mutual avoidance - Lam 1:6

שנאמר:

״היו שריה כאילים לא מצאו מרעה״.

• מה איל זה,

  • ראשו של זה בצד זנבו של זה,

• אף ישראל שבאותו הדור

  • כבשו פניהם בקרקע, ולא הוכיחו זה את זה.

as it is stated:

“Her ministers were like stags that found no pasture, and they walked without strength before their pursuer” (Lamentations 1:6).

• Just as this stag (איל)

  • turns its head toward the other’s tail when it grazes, and each one feeds on its own,

• so too, the Jewish people in that generation

  • lowered their faces to the ground, and did not rebuke one another.

R’ Yehuda - Jerusalem was destroyed because Torah scholars were disparaged

אמר רבי יהודה:

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא

בשביל שביזו בה תלמידי חכמים,

R’ Yehuda said:

Jerusalem was destroyed only

because they disparaged (ביזו) the Torah scholars in it,

Prooftext - 2 Chr 36:16

שנאמר:

״ויהיו מלעיבים במלאכי האלהים

ובוזים דבריו

ומתעתעים בנביאיו

עד עלות חמת ה׳ בעמו

עד [ל]אין מרפא״.

as it is stated:

“And they mocked (מלעיבים) the messengers of God

and disdained (בוזים) His words

and taunted (מתעתעים) His prophets,

until the wrath of God arose against His people,

until it could not be healed” (II Chronicles 36:16).

Rav Yehuda citing Rav - “No healing” = there is no remedy for one who disparages Torah scholars - 2 Chr 36:16

מאי ״עד לאין מרפא״?

אמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:

כל המבזה תלמידי חכמים --

אין לו רפואה למכתו.

What is the meaning of: Until it could not be healed?

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said:

It means that anyone who disparages Torah scholars --

cannot be healed from his wound.

Schoolchildren’s study

Rav Yehuda citing Rav - Interprets “Do not touch My anointed ones” as schoolchildren; “My prophets” as Torah scholars - 1 Chr 16:22

אמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:

מאי דכתיב

״אל תגעו במשיחי

ובנביאי אל תרעו״,

• ״אל תגעו במשיחי״ —

  • אלו תינוקות של בית רבן,

• ״ובנביאי אל תרעו״ —

  • אלו תלמידי חכמים.

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“Do not touch My anointed ones

and do My prophets no harm” (I Chronicles 16:22)?

• “Do not touch My anointed ones,”

  • these are the schoolchildren, who are as precious and important as kings and priests (Maharsha);

• “and do not harm My prophets,”

  • these are Torah scholars.

Reish Lakish citing R’ Yehuda Nesia - The world exists due to the “breath” (Torah-recitation) of schoolchildren

אמר ריש לקיש, משום רבי יהודה נשיאה:

אין העולם מתקיים אלא

בשביל הבל תינוקות של בית רבן.

Reish Lakish said in the name of R’ Yehuda Nesia:

The world only exists

because of the breath, i.e., reciting Torah, of schoolchildren.

Abaye to Rav Pappa - distinguishes it from adults’ “breath” tainted by sin

אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי:

דידי ודידך --

מאי?

אמר ליה:

אינו דומה

• הבל שיש בו חטא

• להבל שאין בו חטא.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye:

My Torah study and yours --

what is its status?

Why is the Torah study of adults worth less?

He said to him:

is not similar

• The breath of adults, which is tainted by sin,

• to the breath of children, which is not tainted by sin.

Reish Lakish citing R’ Yehuda Nesia - Do not interrupt schoolchildren’s study even to build the Temple

ואמר ריש לקיש, משום רבי יהודה נשיאה:

אין מבטלין תינוקות של בית רבן

אפילו לבנין בית המקדש.

And Reish Lakish said in the name of R’ Yehuda Nesia:

One may not interrupt schoolchildren from studying Torah,

even in order to build the Temple.²

Reish Lakish to R’ Yehuda Nesia - Tradition: a city without schoolchildren studying Torah is destroyed

ואמר ריש לקיש לרבי יהודה נשיאה:

כך מקובלני מאבותי,

ואמרי לה: מאבותיך:

כל עיר שאין בה תינוקות של בית רבן --

מחריבין אותה,

And Reish Lakish said to R’ Yehuda Nesia:

I have received from my ancestors as follows

and some say that he said to him: I have received from your ancestors

Any city in which there are no schoolchildren studying Torah --

they destroy it.

Ravina - Variant formulation: they “leave it desolate”

רבינא אמר:

מחרימין אותה.

Ravina said:

They leave it desolate.³

Rava - Jerusalem was destroyed because trustworthy people ceased there (in commerce)

ואמר רבא:

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא

בשביל שפסקו ממנה אנשי אמנה,

And Rava said:

Jerusalem was destroyed only

because there were no more trustworthy people there,

Prooftext - Jer 5:1

שנאמר:

״שוטטו בחוצות ירושלים

וראו נא [ודעו ובקשו ברחובותיה

אם תמצאו איש] (אם יש איש)

עושה משפט

מבקש אמונה

ואסלח לה״.

as it is stated:

“Roam about the streets of Jerusalem and see,

and search its plazas,

if you can find a person,

who acts justly,

who seeks integrity,

that I should forgive it” (Jeremiah 5:1).

1. Note the recurring formula in this and the following passages, giving the sins that cause the divine punishment of Jerusalem’s destruction (referring to the destruction of the First Temple, in 6th century BCE), with prooftexts (8x):

לא חרבה ירושלים אלא בשביל ש-[סיבה]

שנאמר: [פסוק]

Jerusalem was destroyed only because [X reason]

as it is stated: [Y - verse]

All concern failures to fulfill expectations placed on a Jewish society. The 8 things that they didn’t do are as follows:

1. Keep Shabbat (חללו בה את השבת)

2. Recite daily Shema (ביטלו קריאת שמע שחרית וערבית)

3. Teach children (ביטלו בה תינוקות של בית רבן)

4. Have shame before each other (לא היה להם בושת פנים זה מזה)

5. Have status distinctions (הושוו קטן וגדול - “small and great were equated”)

6. Rebuke each other (לא הוכיחו זה את זה)

7. Respect Torah scholars (ביזו בה תלמידי חכמים)

8. Have trustworthy people (פסקו ממנה אנשי אמנה)

For each, a prooftext (or series of prooftexts) is cited from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Lamentations, or Chronicles.

For another related listing of social failures, this time referring to the Destruction of the Second Temple (in 70 CE) and its aftermath, see my two-part series “The End of an Era: The Mishnah on Societal Decline and the Discontinuation of Rituals (Mishnah Sotah 9:9-15)”, final part: Pt2, and “ ”On Whom Can We Rely?” Literary Laments of a Fallen Society in the Mishnah (Mishnah Sotah 9:15)”.

And compare also my three-part series “ ‘Due to Sin [X], Occurs [Y]’: Divine Justice and Human Responsibility for Suffering and Death (Shabbat 32b-33a)”, final part: Pt3.

2. Compare the similar idea elsewhere in the Talmud, in my “Talmudic Interpretations of the Book of Esther: Esther 8:16-10:3 (Megillah 16b)“, section “The Primacy of Torah Study Over Building the Temple“:

גדול תלמוד תורה יותר מבנין בית המקדש

Studying Torah is greater (i.e. more important) than building the Temple.

3. מחרימין - literally: “make it herem”; on this term, see Wikipedia, “Herem (war or property)“.