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Beitar was an ancient city that was the final stronghold of the Jews during the Bar Kokhba revolt of the second century CE in which Jews tried — unsuccessfully — to end Roman rule. The Romans captured and destroyed the fortress and massacred all of its inhabitants.
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Bar Kokhba Revolt
TALMUD
The fall of Beitar during the Bar Kokhba Revolt was a catastrophic event in Jewish history, marked by immense suffering and divine retribution. The Jerusalem Talmud provides a detailed and tragic narrative of this event, including the roles of Bar Kokhba and Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin.
The Tragedy of Beitar
MIDRASH
The detailed and tragic narrative of the destruction of Beitar highlights the immense loss of life and the profound impact on the Jewish community. Eikhah Rabbah, a midrashic commentary on the Book of Lamentations, reflects on the destruction of the First and Second Temples and the suffering of the Jewish people.
The Fourth Blessing of Grace after Meals
TALMUD
The fourth blessing of Grace after Meals was instituted to express gratitude for the miraculous preservation and eventual burial of the slain Jews of Beitar. The Talmudic tractate Berakhot explains the origins of the four blessings of Grace after Meals, each established in response to significant historical events.
The Reasons We Fast on Tisha B'av
TALMUD
The capture of Beitar is one of the many tragic events that befell the Jewish people on the Ninth of Av. The Talmudic tractate Taanit recounts the series of national calamities that occurred on this day, including the destruction of the First and Second Temples and the capture of Beitar.
The Miracle of Beitar
KABBALAH
The sages instituted the blessing "HaTov VeHameitiv" to commemorate the miracle that the corpses of the fallen at Beitar did not become putrid and were able to be buried. In the kabbalistic text Sha'arei Orah, Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla explains the significance of this blessing, which is recited in gratitude for multiple forms of goodness.
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