Page 7 - HaMizrachi Tisha B'Av AUS 2021

MIZRACHI EDUCATORS TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Cries, Crisis and Conflict:

Rabbinic Responses to Churban

oices of conflicting political lead- tied to the tails of horses (Eicha Rabbah He re-established the Sanhedrin in Yavneh
ership resound throughout the 1:47). and enacted laws to replace animal sac-
aggadot of the second Churban. In rifice with prayer. He instituted that
Vcontrast, the Sages of the time, Rabbi Tzadok did not respond with silence certain practices of the Beit HaMikdash
dependent upon their patrons for survival, or passivity; he remained with the people continue, to remember it as it once stood,
were relatively silent. Three voices of reli- in Yerushalayim and witnessed their moral while also establishing means to recall its
gious leadership, however, address the and physical decay. He admonished the destruction.
impending destruction of the second Beit people and priests and observed fasts for
HaMikdash, each with a different perspec- 40 years to prevent the Beit HaMikdash from Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s legacy of
tive and response to times of crisis. being destroyed. He remained hopeful of leadership was perpetuated by his stu-
repentance without ignoring the apparent dents, who adopted his outlook of prepar-
The first is the passive tone of Rabbi Zech- ing for the future in times of distress. For
aria Ben Avkolus (Gittin 55b-56a). Rabbi atrocities. example, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya
Yochanan, living over a century after the dealt with ascetics who refused to eat meat
destruction, initially “blames” Kamtza and and drink wine after the destruction by
Bar Kamtza for the destruction of Yerusha- reminding them that we must not overly
layim, yet concludes: “The humility of mourn. Inspired by his mentor, he recom-
Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkolus destroyed our The most lasting and resounding mended that we engage in practices of
Temple, burned our Sanctuary and exiled voice of religious leadership is that mourning only when we are most prone
us from our Land.” of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. to forgetting Yerushalayim, i.e. at joyous
The Rabbis had wanted to either offer a occasions (Bava Batra 60b).
blemished animal brought by Bar Kamtza The subsequent generation in Yavneh, led
to preserve good relations with the author- The most lasting and resounding voice by Rabbi Akiva, began the next stage of
ities, or to kill the informer. of religious leadership is that of Rabbi
Yochanan ben Zakkai. Rabbi Yochanan preparation – anticipating the eventual
Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkolus said to them: harshly rebuked Sadducee distortion return to and rebuilding of Yerushalayim
“People will then think that blemished of halacha and the brutal methods of (Makkot 24b).
animals may be offered upon the altar… burning storehouses by the Biryoni sect.
People will say that anyone who places a Unlike Rabbi Tzadok, who still hoped Polarization and conflict may depress and
blemish on a sacrifice should be killed.” for the nation’s repentance and restored blur our understanding of the present, yet
So the animal was not sacrificed and the peace, Rabbi Yochanan found the anger do not absolve us from taking responsi-
informer was not killed. In retrospect, bility and providing a trajectory of reli-
Rabbi Yochanan realized how drastic times of the besieged populace to be intolerable gious-national survival for the future. May
require drastic messages from religious and began planning for the possibility of religious leadership’s voices of introspec-
leaders and not a response of humility. destruction. tion together with hope for Mikdash res-
The second voice is that of Rabbi Tzadok After surreptitiously escaping the Roman toration resound and awaken us to react,
repent and properly plan for the rebuilding
HaKohen who, witnessing the murder of a siege and greeting Vespasian as “king,” the of a “just and righteous” society in Tzion.
kohen during Mikdash worship, stood on the new emperor granted Rabbi Yochanan his
stairs of the Beit HaMikdash and cried that requests: “Give me Yavneh and its wise
all the people and the kohanim were culpa- men, and the family chain of Rabban
ble (Tosefta Yoma 1). He deplored Miriam, Gamaliel and physicians to heal R. Tzadok”
the daughter of wealthy Nakdimon, who (Gittin 56a-b).
demanded a ridiculously high dowry,
and later witnessed her during the siege Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai mourned upon
of Yerushalayim eating fodder from the hearing of the Churban, but simultaneously Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational
hooves of horses (Pesikta Rabbati 21). He anticipated and prepared for a new way Director of Mizrachi and the Director of
bemoaned the fate of Marta, the daughter of life that would transcend the absence the Mizrachi Matan Lapidot Educators’
of Baythus, who insisted that her servants of the Mikdash – “We have a form of atone- Program.
roll out carpets for her on Yom Kippur so ment just like it [the Mikdash]. And what is
that her feet would not be soiled, only to it? Acts of kindness” (Avot DeRabbi Natan A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
eventually be dragged through the streets, 4:5). mizrachi.org/speakers

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