Pt2 The End of an Era: The Mishnah on Societal Decline and the Discontinuation of Rituals (Sotah 9:9-15)

This is the second and final installment of a two part series. The first part is here.

Post-Temple Destruction: Loss of Blessings, Sweetness, and Faith

After the early prophets (נביאים הראשונים) died, the Urim VeTummim (a divinatory tool) ceased to function. 

With the destruction of the Second (Alternatively: First) Temple,¹ several things disappeared: the shamir worm (which had special properties), the sweetness of the honey,² and trustworthy individuals among the Jewish people. 

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, quoting R’ Yehoshua (first half of 2nd century CE), stated that since the Second Temple's destruction, every day has carried some curse, dew no longer brings blessing, and fruit lost its taste. R' Yosei adds that the richness (fat) of fruit was also diminished.

משמתו נביאים הראשונים, בטלו אורים ותמים. 

משחרב בית המקדש,

1. בטל השמיר

2. ונפת צופים,

3. ופסקו אנשי אמנה, 

שנאמר [...]

רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר משום רבי יהושע:

מיום שחרב בית המקדש,

1. אין יום שאין בו קללה,

2. ולא ירד הטל לברכה,

3. ונטל טעם הפרות. 

רבי יוסי אומר: אף נטל שמן הפרות

From the time when the early prophets died the Urim VeTummim was nullified. 

From the time when the Second Temple was destroyed

1. the shamir worm ceased to exist

2. and also the sweetness of the honeycomb [...]

3. And men of faith ceased from being among the Jewish people, 

as it is stated: [...]

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says that R' Yehoshua says:

From the day the Temple was destroyed

1. there is no day that does not include some form of curse.

2. And since then the dew has not descended for blessing,

3. and the taste has been removed from fruit. 

R' Yosei says: Since then, the fat of fruit has also been removed.

The Decline of Food Quality: Due to Lost Ritual Purity or Moral Corruption

R' Shimon ben Elazar states that the loss of purity (טהרה) caused fruit to lose its taste and aroma, while the failure to separate tithes (מעשרות) diminished the quality of grain. 

Anonymous sages (חכמים) add that sexual immorality (זנות) and sorcery (כשפים)  are responsible for consuming everything else.

רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר:

הטהרה נטלה את הטעם ואת הריח.

המעשרות נטלו את שמן הדגן. 

וחכמים אומרים: הזנות והכשפים כלו את הכל

R' Shimon ben Elazar says: Since then, the lost purity has removed the taste and the aroma from fruit; the tithes that were not separated have removed the fat of the grain. 

And the Sages say: Promiscuity and witchcraft have consumed it all.

Rabbinic Decrees on Wedding Customs and Education Amid the Effects of Three Major Wars Against Rome

Three major Jewish wars³ against Rome are mentioned:

1. During the war of Vespasian,⁴ they decreed against the custom of grooms wearing crowns,⁵ and the playing of drums was banned. 

2. During the war of Titus,⁶ they extended the prohibition to the crowns of brides and decreed that fathers should not teach their sons the Greek language (יונית). 

3. In “the final/last war”, i.e. the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135/136 CE), they decreed against the custom of brides being carried in a litter.⁷ However, anonymous rabbis⁸ later permitted brides to be carried in a litter, as this was seen as a way to preserve their modesty.

1. בפלמוס של אספסינוס גזרו על עטרות חתנים, ועל הארוס. 

2. בפלמוס של טיטוס גזרו על עטרות כלות, ושלא ילמד אדם את בנו יונית. 

3. בפלמוס האחרון גזרו שלא תצא הכלה באפריון בתוך העיר, ורבותינו התירו שתצא הכלה באפריון בתוך העיר

1. In the war [pulemus] of Vespasian the Sages decreed upon the crowns of bridegrooms, i.e., that bridegrooms may no longer wear crowns, and upon the drums, meaning they also banned the playing of drums. 

2. In the war of Titus they also decreed upon the crowns of brides, and they decreed that a person should not teach his son Greek. 

3. In the last war, meaning the bar Kokheva revolt, they decreed that a bride may not go out in a palanquin inside the city, but our Sages permitted a bride to go out in a palanquin inside the city, as this helps the bride maintain her modesty.

End of an Era: A List of Specific Virtues and Traditions Lost with the Deaths of Thirteen Major Tannaitic Figures

The Mishnah lists major tannaitic figures whose deaths marked the end of various virtues and practices in Jewish society (I mark the generation of tanna for each, see the table summarizing at the end, in the appendix):⁹

With the death of R' Meir (4th), parable-tellers ceased;¹⁰ with Ben-Azzai (3rd), diligence ended; and with Ben-Zoma (3rd), exegetical interpretation ceased. 

R' Yehoshua's (3rd) death marked the end of goodness, while Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel's passing (1st or 3rd, there were two people with this name) brought locusts and increased troubles. 

The sages stopped being wealthy after R' Elazar ben Azarya's (2nd) death, and Torah honor ceased with R' Akiva's (2nd) death. 

Ḥanina ben Dosa's (pre-tannaitic, 1st century CE) passing marked the end of men of miraculous action, while the pious disappeared with R' Yosei the Small (2nd?).¹¹ 

Wisdom's glory ended with Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai (1st), and purity and asceticism died with Rabban Gamliel the Elder (1st). 

Finally, the glory of the priesthood ceased with Yishmael ben Pavi,¹² and humility and fear of sin disappeared with R' Yehuda HaNasi (5th).

1. משמת ר' מאיר, בטלו מושלי משלים.

2. משמת בן עזאי, בטלו השקדנים.

3. משמת בן זומא, בטלו הדרשנים.

4. משמת ר' יהושע, פסקה טובה מן העולם.

5. משמת רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, בא גובי ורבו צרות.

6. משמת ר' אלעזר בן עזריה, פסק העושר מן החכמים.

7. משמת ר' עקיבא, בטל כבוד התורה.

8. משמת ר' חנינא בן דוסא, בטלו אנשי מעשה.

9. משמת ר' יוסי קטנותא, פסקו חסידים. ולמה נקרא שמו קטנותא, שהיה קטנותן של חסידים.

10. משמת רבן יוחנן בן זכאי, בטל זיו החכמה.

11. משמת רבן גמליאל הזקן, בטל כבוד התורה ומתה טהרה ופרישות.

12. משמת ר' ישמעאל בן פאבי, בטל זיו הכהונה.

13. משמת ר', בטלה ענווה ויראת חטא.

The mishna lists more things that ceased: 

1. From the time when Rabbi Meir died, those who relate parables ceased; 

2.  from the time when ben Azzai died, the diligent ceased; 

3. from the time when ben Zoma died, the exegetists ceased; 

4. from the time when Rabbi Yehoshua died, goodness ceased from the world; 

5. from the time when Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel died, locusts come and troubles multiplied;

6. from the time when Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya died, the sages ceased to be wealthy;

7. from the time when Rabbi Akiva died, the honor of the Torah ceased; 

8. from the time when Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa died, the men of wondrous action ceased; 

9. from the time when Rabbi Yosei the Small died, the pious were no more. And why was he called the Small? Because he was the smallest of the pious, meaning he was one of the least important of the pious men. 

10. From the time when Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai died, the glory of wisdom ceased;

11. rom the time when Rabban Gamliel the Elder died, the honor of the Torah ceased, and purity and asceticism died

12. From the time when Rabbi Yishmael ben Pavi died, the glory of the priesthood ceased;

13. from the time when Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died, humility and fear of sin ceased. 

Appendix - Tables

Rituals Nullified or Changes Enacted in the Second Temple and Tannaitic Periods

In chronological order:

Specific Virtues and Traditions Lost with the Deaths of Thirteen Major Tannaitic Figures

This is the Mishnah’s order, which isn’t chronological:

In chronological order, by generation:¹³

1. משחרב בית המקדש - “From [the time] when the Temple was destroyed”. It can be confusing that the Mishnah and Talmud generally use the term "temple" without clarifying whether they mean the First or Second Temple, and the same applies in this instance.

Both the anonymous first section, and Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, quoting R’ Yehoshua, use a tripartite literary structure of lamentation for the after-effects of the destruction of the temple. Both begin with the same phrase “From [the time] when the Temple was destroyed” ( משחרב בית המקדש).

This style of lamenation can also be observed subsequently in the Mishnah as well (which I will analyze in the next section), beginning with the same phrase “From [the time] when the Temple was destroyed” ( משחרב בית המקדש).

2. נפת צופים - a biblical term, in Psalms.19.11, as a metaphor for divine law:

הנחמדים מזהב ומפז רב

ומתוקים מדבש ונפת צופים

more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold;
sweeter than honey,
than drippings of the comb.

Its meaning is unclear, but likely means “premium honey”:

3. פלמוס - a Greek loanword - polemos, cognate with modern English polemic.

4. The war referred to is the beginning of the First Jewish–Roman War in 66–74 CE, which included the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

5. עטרות חתנים - see כלילא – ויקיפדיה.

6. The second part of  the First Jewish–Roman War in 66–74 CE.

7. אפריון - likely a loanword, from Greek phoreîon, with prosthetic aleph, so a reconstructed pronunciation of the word in the Mishnah is “afreion”. For a discussion about litters in the Talmud, see my piece here.

8. רבותינו - literally: “our rabbis” (an unusual term; this is the only place in the Mishnah that it appears).

9. See Wikipedia, “Tannaim” > “Generations”:

The Mishnaic period is commonly divided into five generations:

1. First Generation before and shortly after the Destruction of the Temple (c. 40 BCE – 80 CE):
   Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, Shimon ben Gamliel and Judah ben Baba

2. Second Generation between the destruction of the Temple and Bar Kokhba's revolt:
   Rabban Gamaliel II of Yavneh, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurcanus, the teachers of Rabbi Akiva, as well as Gamaliel of Yavne and Eleazar ben Arach

3. Third Generation around Bar Kochba's revolt:
   Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Tarfon, Ishmael ben Elisha, Eleazar ben Azariah, Jose the Galilean, Nathan the Babylonian and Elisha ben Abuyah (the "Other" or apostate)

4. Fourth Generation after the revolt:
   Shimon ben Gamliel of Yavne, Rabbi Meir, Shimon bar Yochai (who, according to traditional lore, wrote the Zohar), Jose ben Halafta, Yehuda ben Ilai and Rabbi Nehemiah

5. Fifth Generation: the generation of Rabbi Judah haNasi, who compiled the Mishnah.

6. Sixth Generation, an interim generation between the Mishnah and the Gemara:
   Rabbi Hiyya, Shimon ben Judah HaNasi and Yehoshua ben Levi.

For an extensive breakdown of tannaim by generation, see the Hebrew Wikipedia template, “Tannaim” (תבנית: תנאים).

10. מושלי משלים - see המשל בספרות חז"ל – ויקיפדיה.

11. ר' יוסי קטנותא - see רבי יוסי הכהן – ויקיפדיה.

12. Pre-tannaitic, he was High Priest from 15 CE to 16 CE; on mentions of him elsewhere, see for example my piece here.

13. As can be seen in the tabel, most of the personalities mentioned are pre-tannaitic, late second temple period, to 3rd generation. Meaning, from circa year 10 CE to circa 130 CE.