Why It's Gone -- Hodesh Av, 5780

1) Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat, 119b a) אָמַר אַבָיֵי: לָא חָרְבָה יְרושָלַיִם אֶלָא בִשְבִיל שֶחִלְלו בָה אֶת הַשַבָת, שֶנֶאֱמַר: ״ומִשַבְתותַי הֶעְלִימו עֵינֵיהֶם וָאֵחַל בְתוכָם״. b) אָמַר רַבִי אֲבָהו: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרושָלַיִם אֶלָא בִשְבִיל שֶבִיטְלו קְרִיאַת שְמַע שַחֲרִית וְעַרְבִית, שֶנֶאֱמַר: ״הוי מַשְכִימֵי בַבֹקֶר שֵכָר יִרְדֹפו וְגו׳״, וכְתִיב: ״וְהָיָה כִנור וָנֶבֶל תוף וְחָלִיל וָיַיִן מִשְתֵיהֶם וְאֵת פועַל ה׳ לֹא יַבִיטו״, וכְתִיב: ״לָכֵן גָלָה עַמִי מִבְלִי דָעַת״. c) אָמַר רַב הַמְנונָא: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרושָלַיִם אֶלָא בִשְבִיל שֶבִיטְלו בָה תִינוקות שֶל בֵית רַבָן, שֶנֶאֱמַר: ״שְפוךְ עַל עולָל בַחוץ וְגו׳״. מַה טַעַם ״שְפוךְ״ — מִשום דְ״עולָל בַחוץ״. d) אָמַר עולָא: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרושָלַיִם אֶלָא מִפְנֵי שֶלֹא הָיָה לָהֶם בושֶת פָנִים זֶה מִזֶה, שֶנֶאֱמַר: ״הובִישו כִי תועֵבָה עָשו גַם בוש לֹא יֵבושו וְגו׳״. e) אָמַר רַבִי יִצְחָק: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרושָלַיִם אֶלָא בִשְבִיל שֶהושְוו קָטָן וְגָדול, שֶנֶאֱמַר: ״וְהָיָה כָעָם כַכֹהֵן״, וכְתִיב בָתְרֵיה: ״הִבוק תִבוק הָאָרֶץ״. f) אָמַר רַב ﬠַמְרָם בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי חֲ נ ִי נ ָא: ל ֹא חָרְבָה י ְר וּ שָׁ לַ י ִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁ לּ ֹא הוֹכִיחוּ ז ֶה אֶת ז ֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הָיוּ שָׂרֶ יהָ כְּאַיָּלִים ל ֹא מָצְאוּ מִרְﬠֶה״. מָה אַיִל ז ֶה, רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל ז ֶה בְּצַד זְנָבוֹ שֶׁל ז ֶה, אַף יִשְׂרָ אֵל שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר כָּבְשׁוּ פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע ו ְל ֹא הוֹכִיחוּ ז ֶה אֶת ז ֶה. g) אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: ל ֹא חָרְבָה י ְר וּ שָׁ לַ י ִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁבִּיזּוּ בָּהּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְﬠִיבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וּבוֹזִים דְּבָרָיו וּמִתַּﬠְתְּﬠִים בִּנְבִיאָיו ﬠַד ﬠֲלוֹת חֲמַת ה׳ בְּﬠַמּוֹ ﬠַד [לְ]אֵין מַרְפֵּא״. מַאי ״ﬠַד לְאֵין מַרְפֵּא״? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: כׇּל הַמְבַזֶּה תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵין לוֹ רְפוּאָה לְמַכָּתוֹ. h) וְאָמַר רָבָא: ל ֹא חָרְבָה י ְר וּ שָׁ לַ י ִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁפָּסְקוּ מִ מֶּ נּ ָה אַנְשֵׁי אֲ מָ נ ָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שׁוֹטְטוּ בְּחוּצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַים וּרְאוּ נ ָא [וּדְעוּ וּבַקְשׁוּ בִרְחוֹבוֹתֶיהָ אִם תִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ] (אִם י ֵשׁ אִישׁ) עוֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט מְבַקֵּשׁ אֱמוּנָה וְאֶסְלַח לָהּ״. a) said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because people desecrated the Shabbat in it, as it is stated: “And from My Shabbatot they averted their eyes, and I was profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26). b) Rabbi said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because [they] omitted recitation of Shema, morning and evening, as it is stated: “Woe to those who rise early in the morning and pursue the drink and are aflame from wine until late in the evening” (Isaiah 5:11). And it is written [just after]: “And their drinking parties have lyre and lute, drum and flute and wine, and they do not look upon the actions of God, and they do not see God's hands' creations” (Isaiah 5:12). And it is written [next]: “Therefore My nation is being exiled for its ignorance; its honor will die of hunger and its multitudes will be parched with thirst” (Isaiah 5:13). c) Rav said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because schoolchildren there were diverted [from study], as it is stated: “And I am filled with the wrath of God, I cannot contain it, pour it onto the infants in the street and onto the gathering of youths together, for men and women alike will be captured, the elderly along with those of advanced years” ( 6:11). What is the reason that the wrath is poured? It is because children are outside (not studying Torah).

- 1 - d) said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because people had no shame before each other, as it is stated: “They acted shamefully; they have performed abominations, yet they neither were ashamed nor did they know humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen, they will fail at the time that I punish them, said God” (Jeremiah 6:15). e) Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because its small and great were equated. As it is stated: “Laymen and priest shall fare alike, servant & master, maidservant & mistress, buyer & seller, lender & borrower, creditor & debtor.” (Isaiah 24:2). And it is written afterward: “The land shall be utterly desolate and completely plundered, for God has said this” (Isaiah 24:3). f) Rav Amram, son of Rabbi Shimon bar Abba, said that Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because the people did not rebuke one another, as it is stated: “Her ministers were like stags that found no pasture, and they walked without strength before their pursuer” (Lamentations 1:6). Just as this stag turns its head toward the other’s tail when it grazes, and each one feeds on its own, so too, the Jewish people in that generation lowered their faces to the ground and did not rebuke one another. g) Rabbi Yehuda said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they disparaged the Torah scholars in it, as it is stated: “And they mocked the messengers of God and disdained God's words and taunted God's prophets, until the wrath of God arose against the people, until it could not be healed” (II Chronicles 36:16). What is the meaning of: Until it could not be healed? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: anyone who disparages Torah scholars cannot be healed from their wound... h) And said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because there were no more trustworthy people there (people of truth), as it is stated: “Roam about the streets of Jerusalem and see, and search its plazas, if you can find a person, who acts justly, who seeks integrity, that I should forgive it” (Jeremiah 5:1).

------a) desecration of shabbat (holy time) b) no recitation of shema (all about me) c) learning interrupted (education devalued) d) no shame (no shame, corruption) e) no distinctions (honor distinctions) f) no rebuking (anything goes, indifference) g) disparaged scholars (science what?) h) no trustworthy people (erosion of trust)

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. — Maya Angelou

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