Why Was Jerusalem Destroyed?

R' Yehudah son of R' Shmuel said in the name of Rav fires only occur in a place where there is a desecration of Shabbat, as it says " And if you will not hearken to Me to hallow the Sabbath day and not to carry burdens and to come into the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath, I will kindle a fire in her gates, and it will consume the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be quenched." (Jeremiah 17:27) What does 'and it will not be quenched' mean? R' Nachman bar Yitzchak said: At a time when no people will be there to put it out. Abaye said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because they violated Shabbat within her, as it says " and they hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I was profaned in their midst." (Ezekiel 22:26) R' Abahu said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because they nullify the practice of saying shema in the morning and the evening, as it says " Woe to those who rise early in the morning; they pursue strong wine..." (Isaiah 5:11) and it is written "And there are harp and lute, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking feasts; and the work of the Lord they do not regard..." (Isaiah 5:12) and it is written "Therefore, My people shall go into exile because of lack of knowledge..." (Isaiah 5:13) R' Hamnunah said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because they caused the children to cease learning, as it says "...pour it out upon the babes in the street..." (Jeremiah 6:11) What was the reason it was poured out? Because of the babes in the street. Ulah said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because they had no shame before one another, as it says "They shall be put to shame since they have committed abomination. Neither are they ashamed nor do they know to feel disgrace." (Jeremiah 6:15) R' Yitzchak said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because they made the great and the small equivalent, as it says "And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest..." (Isaiah 24:2) and it is written after this "The land shall be emptied..." (Isaiah 24:3) R' Amram the son of R' Shimon bar Abba said in the of his father who said in the name of R' Chanina Jerusalem was only destroyed because they did not rebuke one another, as it says "...her princes were like harts who did not find pasture..." (Lamentations 1:6) Just as harts stand with this one's head next to that one's tail, so too Israel in that generation pressed their faced to the floor and did not rebuke one another. R' Yehudah said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because they disparaged talmidei chachamim in her, as it says "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words and scoffed His prophets, until the Lord's wrath ascended upon His people beyond remedy." (Chronicles II 36:16) What does 'beyond remedy' mean? R' Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Anyone one who disparaged a talmid chacham, his wounds will not heal. R' Yehudah said in the name of Rav: What is written "Do not touch My anointed ones, and do not harm My prophets." (Chronicles I 16:22)? 'Do not touch my anointed' refers to the children of the house of study, 'and do not harm my prophets' refers to the talmide chachamim. Resh Lakish said in the name of R' Yehudah Nesiyah: The world only persists because of the breath from the mouths of the children of the house of study. R' papa said to Abaye: what about mine and yours? He replied: there is no comparison between breath which has sin and breath which has no sin. And Resh Lakish said in the name of R' Yehudah Nesiyah: We do not interrupt the study of the children even for the building of the Holy Temple. And Resh Lakish said to R' Yehudah Nesiyah: This is what I received from my fathers (and there are those who say it 'from your fathers'): We destroy any city which does not have children studying. Ravena said: we place it in cherem (excommunication). And Rava said: Jerusalem was only destroyed because men of faith ceased to be found there, as it says “Stroll in the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in its squares, whether you will find a man, whether there is one who performs justice, who seeks faith, and I will forgive her.” (Jeremiah 5:1) Is that so?! Behold, R’ Kitina said: even in the hour of Jerusalem’s failure, men of faith were still found there, as it says ... “When a man shall seize his brother of the house of his father, [saying], You have a garment, be an officer to us…” you have in your hands the things with which people cover themselves as if with a garment “…and this obstacle shall be under your hands,” (Isaiah 3:6) you have in your hands the things which people do not master unless they fail in them– be an officer to us. “He shall swear (yisah) on that day, saying, "I will not be a ruler…” (Isaiah 3:7) The word yisah indicates an oath, as it says “You shall not take the name of the Lord…” (Exodus 20:6) ‘I will not be a ruler (literally binder up) (choveish)’ I will not be among those who confine (chovshei) themselves to the house of study. “…while in my house there is neither bread nor clothing…” (Isaiah 3:7) I have neither scripture, Mishna nor Talmud in my hands. And why should you say so? Perhaps it is different in that case, that if he says to them that he has learned, they will say – tell us! He could say: I learned and forgot. Why say I will not be a binder up at all? This is not a difficulty. Here it is in regard to Torah learning, and there in regard to matters of the world.

(19) R’ Elazar said: the whole Torah hangs on judgment. That is why the Holy One gave the laws of justice after the Ten Commandments - because people cross the line of justice, are punished and this teaches the whole world. Sodom was not overturned until it crossed the line of justice, as it says “…pride, abundance of bread, and careless ease…“ (Ezekiel 16:49) Even Jerusalem was not exiled until she crossed the line of justice, as it says “…the orphan they do not judge, and the quarrel of the widow does not come to them.” (Isaiah 1:23) And why did the Holy One give the crown to Yehudah? He is not the sole mighty one from among his brothers, are not Shimon, Levi and the others mighty as well? Rather, it was because he gave true judgment to Tamar, therefore he was made judge of the world. This is like a judge before whom an orphan’s judgment comes and he finds in her favor. So too Yehudah – Tamar’s judgment that she should be burned came before him, and he found in her merit because he found merit in her. How? Yitzchak and Yaakov were sitting there, and all his brothers were covering for him. Yehudah acknowledged Gd (HaMakom) and spoke the truth of the matter, saying “She is more in the right than I…” (Bereshit 38:26) and the Holy One made him prince. So Ben Zoma used to say and explain: if you were ashamed in this world, you will not be ashamed of the Holy One, who is a consuming fire, in the coming world. Why? Because the shame of this world is nothing other than the shame of one’s standing in the coming world, as it says “For this let every pious man pray to You…” (Tehillim 32:6)

(23) “These are the accounts of the Mishkan…” (Exodus 38:21) This is what is written “As a Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning, so is the place of our Sanctuary.” (Jeremiah 17:12) There our Sanctuary is oriented, and it also says “…directed toward Your habitation, which You made, O Lord; the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands founded.” (Exodus 15:17) And so you find that Jerusalem is aligned above as it is below. From the abundance of the love for the one below He made another above, as it says “Behold on My hands have I engraved you; your walls are before Me always.” (Isaiah 49:16) And for what was it destroyed? “Your sons have hastened; those who destroy you and those who lay you waste shall go forth from you.” (Isaiah 49:17) For this it was destroyed. David said so as well “The built-up Jerusalem is like a city that was joined together within itself.” (Psalms 122:3) That is to say, like a city which God (Yah) built. And the Yerushalmi translated this into Aramaic as ‘a city built in the heavens to join as one with that on the earth.’ And He swore that His Presence would not enter into the one above until the one below is rebuilt. How precious is Israel before the Holy One! And how do we know this is so? Because it is written “In your midst is the Holy One, and I will not enter a city.” (Hoshea 11:9) And it says “’And now, what have I here,’ says the Lord, ‘that My people has been taken for nothing.’” (Isaiah 52:5) That is to say ‘and now, what have I here,’ meaning ‘what do I seek here in Jerusalem now that My people have been taken from it. Should I go there for nothing? I will not go. May it be His will that it be rebuilt, speedily in our day.