Reading and Studying History on Tisha b'Av (and the Whole Year Round)

A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GS

 

Titus and the Gnat, Onkelos and the Seance, Tur Malka's Destruction - Gittin 56b, Uganda Shiur

Uganda Shiur - July 20

Meeting Purpose

To study Gemara stories about the destruction of the Second Temple.

Key Takeaways

• God's Power is Absolute: The story of Titus's death by a gnat illustrates that God's power is not limited to specific domains (e.g., water) but is absolute, using any tool, no matter how small, to overcome the mightiest foes.
• Internal Strife Destroys: The destruction of the Second Temple was caused by sinat chinam (baseless hatred). The Gemara states that any generation in which the Temple is not rebuilt is as if it was destroyed, implying that internal fighting continues to prevent its return.
• Prayer's Power is Universal: Sincere prayer is answered regardless of the petitioner's intent. The Roman emperor's sincere prayer for victory was answered, while the Jew Bar de Roma's complaint against God was punished.
• Land of Israel's Supernatural Quality: The Land of Israel is described as "the land of deer," meaning it expands to accommodate its inhabitants when settled and contracts when empty. This explains how it could support massive populations in the past and continues to do so today.

Topics

The Destruction of the Second Temple

• Cause: The Temple was destroyed due to sinat chinam (baseless hatred) and public shaming among Jews.
• Consequence: The Gemara states that any generation in which the Temple is not rebuilt is as if it was destroyed, implying that internal fighting continues to prevent its return.

Titus's Hubris and Punishment

• Hubris: After destroying the Temple, Titus challenged God's power, believing it was limited to water.
• Divine Punishment: A gnat entered Titus's nostril and gnawed at his brain for 70 years.
  • Temporary Relief: The gnat was silenced by the sound of a blacksmith's hammer.
  • Titus's Reaction: He paid Gentile blacksmiths but told Jewish ones, "It is enough for you that you see your enemy in so much pain."
  • End of Relief: After 30 days, the gnat became accustomed to the sound and resumed its torment.
• Death & Afterlife:
  • Final Act: Titus ordered his body burned and ashes scattered to evade divine judgment.
  • Punishment: In the afterlife, he is subjected to the very fate he tried to escape.

Onkelos's Necromancy

• Context: Onkelos, Titus's nephew, raised three figures from the dead to ask about the afterlife before converting to Judaism.
• Titus's Counsel:
  • Importance: The Jewish people.
  • Conversion Advice: Don't convert; the commandments are too numerous. Instead, fight against them to become a leader, citing the verse "her adversaries have become the chief."
• Balaam's Counsel:
  • Importance: The Jewish people.
  • Conversion Advice: Don't seek their peace or welfare.
  • Punishment: Cooked in boiling for causing Israel to sin with the daughters of Moab.
• Jesus's Counsel:
  • Importance: The Jewish people.
  • Conversion Advice: Yes, seek their welfare. "For anyone who touches them, it is as if they are touching the apple of his eye."
  • Punishment: Boiled in excrement for mocking the words of the sages.

The Fall of King's Mountain

• Catalyst: Roman soldiers stole a rooster and hen from a Jewish wedding procession. The residents attacked the soldiers, triggering a Roman invasion.
• Bar de Roma: A powerful Jewish warrior who could jump a mil (approx. 1.5 km) and killed many Romans.
  • Downfall: He complained to God as a statement of fact ("You have rejected us"), unlike King David, who asked a question. This was punished by a snakebite in an outhouse.
• Final Destruction:
  • Misstep: After the Romans retreated, the Jews held a massive, public celebration.
  • Roman Response: The emperor interpreted this as mockery, returned, and massacred the city's inhabitants for three days and nights.

The Land of Israel's Supernatural Quality

• Exaggerated Numbers: The Gemara uses symbolic numbers (e.g., 600,000 cities) to describe the Land of Israel's past population.
• Reconciliation: The land is "the land of deer," meaning it expands to accommodate its inhabitants when settled and contracts when empty. This explains how it could support massive populations in the past and why it appears smaller today.

• • 
    

 

Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 5, Nation vs. Society, History vs. Chronology

Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer - July 19

Meeting Purpose

To analyze Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's philosophy on nature, creation, and history.

Key Takeaways

• Nature (Teva) vs. Creation (Bria): Nature is a deterministic system of cause and effect, while Creation is the realm of freedom and purpose. Humans, as God's partners, can impose purpose on nature, making them both "poor" (subject to nature) and "kings" (wielding free will).
• History vs. Chronology: History is a narrative of human visions and freedom, distinct from mere chronology (a timeline of events). The Jewish people introduced the concept of purposeful history, centered on Rosh Hashanah as a day of memory and judgment.
• The Tower of Babel's Impact: The Tower of Babel was a rebellion of individuals, not nations. Its consequence was the fragmentation of humanity into nations, which then adopted the individualistic goal of "making a name" for themselves.
• The Nation as History's Agent: Since Babel, the nation has become the primary actor in history. Its strength is defined by its civilization and culture, which are the fruition of its societal development.

Topics

Nature (Teva) vs. Creation (Bria)

• Nature (Teva): A deterministic system of cause and effect governed by space and time.
  • Space & Time: Not real entities, but tools for perceiving reality.
  • Principle: The past governs the future; there is no free choice.
• Creation (Bria): The realm of freedom and purpose, where tools serve a purpose (e.g., a hammer for building).
  • God's Will: Absolutely free (subjective) and unconstrained by pre-existing matter (objective).
  • Human Role: Humans are God's partners, using free will to impose purpose on nature.
    • Paradox: Both "poor" (subject to nature's laws) and "kings" (imposing will on nature).

Society, History, and Culture

• Society: Not part of nature; it is a product of human will that imposes order on reality.
  • Active Will: A free will that desires justice, elevating society from nature to creation.
• History vs. Chronology:
  • Chronology: A timeline of events; history without vision.
  • History: A narrative of human visions and freedom, centered on civilization.
• Culture (Tarbus) vs. Civilization (Yeshiva Olam):
  • Civilization: What humans extract from nature by controlling its powers.
  • Culture: What humans put into nature by controlling their own powers (i.e., their visions).
• The Jewish Contribution: The Jewish people introduced the concept of purposeful history, where events are judged against a divine plan. Rosh Hashanah is the annual day of memory and judgment, paralleling the creation's culmination.

The Nation as History's Agent

• The Tower of Babel: A rebellion of individuals, not nations, against God.
• Consequence: Humanity fragmented into nations.
  • Shift: The individualistic goal of "making a name" became nationalized.
• The Nation: The primary actor in history since Babel.
  • Strength: Defined by its civilization and culture, which are the fruition of its societal development.

Rabban Yochan ben Zakkai and Vespasian - Gittin 56a, Uganda Shiur

Rabban Yochan ben Zakkai and Vespasian - Gittin 56a, Uganda Shiur

Meeting Purpose

To study the Gemara's account of the Second Temple's destruction.

Key Takeaways

• Zealots' Self-Destructive Tactics: To force a war, Zealots burned Jerusalem's food stores, causing a famine that killed the wealthy Martha Bat-Betus and rendered money worthless.
• Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's Escape: The leading sage escaped the city by faking his death, a plan devised with his Zealot-leader nephew, Abba Sikra.
• Strategic Requests to Vespasian: Ben Zakkai secured three favors from the Roman general (sparing Yavneh, the Nasi's dynasty, and Rabbi Tzadok) to ensure Jewish survival, choosing modest requests over a doomed plea to save the Temple.
• Titus's Blasphemous Act: The new Roman general defiled the Holy of Holies, interpreting the curtain's miraculous bleeding as a sign he had "killed God," a moment the Gemara uses to explain divine silence in the face of evil.

Topics

The Zealots' Famine & Its Consequences

• Goal: Force a war against the Romans by creating a desperate situation.
• Method: Burned Jerusalem's food stores (wheat, barley).
• Outcome: A severe famine that killed the wealthy Martha Bat-Betus.
  • Her agent failed to find any flour, even coarse or barley.
  • She died from disgust after stepping on dung, a symbol of her sudden loss of privilege.
  • Alternative Account: She died from disgust after eating a fig from Rabbi Tzadok, whose 40-year fast left him too weak for solid food.
  • Symbolic Act: She threw her gold and silver into the streets, proving money was worthless without food.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's Escape

• Context: The leading sage (peace faction) and his nephew, Abba Sikra (Zealot leader), met in secret.
• Plan: Ben Zakkai would fake his death to escape the city.
  • Method: Pretend illness → place putrid material nearby → have students carry the coffin for burial.
  • Rationale: Only students could carry the coffin; others would notice a living person is lighter than a corpse ("dead weight").
• Execution:
  • Zealot guards at the gate demanded to stab the body to confirm death.
  • Ben Zakkai's students refused, arguing it would disgrace their rabbi and be seen as a Roman propaganda victory.
  • The guards relented, allowing the escape.

Encounter with Vespasian & Strategic Requests

• Prophecy: Ben Zakkai greeted Vespasian as "king," prophesying his future emperorship.
• Vespasian's Analogy: He rejected saving Jerusalem, comparing it to breaking a honey barrel to kill a snake (the Zealots).
• Ben Zakkai's Counter-Analogy (Post-Facto): He should have suggested using tongs to remove the snake, saving the barrel.
  • Gemara's Explanation: God prevented this thought, as the Temple's destruction was part of a divine plan.
• Vespasian's Favor: After becoming emperor, he offered Ben Zakkai a request.
• The Three Requests (Pillars of Post-Destruction Survival):
  1. Yavneh: Spare the city and its sages to rebuild Torah scholarship.
  2. Rabban Gamliel: Spare the Nasi (political leader) and his dynasty to preserve leadership.
  3. Rabbi Tzadok: Provide doctors to heal him.
• Rationale for Modest Requests: To ensure at least some survival, as asking for too much (e.g., sparing the Temple) would likely result in nothing.

Titus's Defilement of the Holy of Holies

• Successor: Vespasian left for Rome, appointing his son Titus to continue the siege.
• Blasphemous Act: Titus entered the Holy of Holies with a prostitute, spread a Torah scroll as a mattress, and cut the curtain with a sword.
• Miracle & Misinterpretation: The curtain bled, a sign of God's mourning. Titus, an idol-worshipper, believed he had "killed God."
• Gemara's Theological Point: God's silence in the face of evil preserves free will.
• Loot: Titus used the curtain as a basket to carry sacred vessels to Rome.
• Arch of Titus: A Roman monument celebrating this victory, featuring a sculpture of the menorah.
  • Jews avoided walking under it until 1948, when Israel's independence symbolized their ultimate survival.

 

Rischa D'Araisa: Season 13 Episode 13: "The Gift of the AI" - Ease of use can cripple intellectual growth and encourage our worst instincts

 I did not participate in this episode.

https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/120320

Rischa D'Araisa: Season 13 Episode 13:

"The Gift of the AI"

- Ease of use can cripple intellectual growth and encourage our worst instincts