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Birkot HaTorah and Geula: Simchat Torah 5779
"Avot deRebbi Natan (1:2) states in the name of Shimon Hatzaddik that the sin of neglect of Torah study (bittul Torah) was the cause of numerous specific exiles, including that of the Ten Tribes and of the destruction of Jerusalem. As part of a long list of sins that led to the destruction, Eichah Rabbah (ed. Buber, 1:20, p. 92-93) states that Jerusalem was destroyed only because of the abandonment of Torah, or alternatively because they neglected the education of school children. The Talmud (Nedarim 81a) even suggests that Jerusalem was destroyed because the people did not recite Birchat HaTorah (cited in Tur 47)" (Rabbi Zivotofsky).

דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב מאי דכתיב (ירמיהו ט, יא) מי האיש החכם ויבן את זאת דבר זה נשאל לחכמים ולנביאים ולא פירשוהו

As Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Who is the wise man that may understand this, and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land is perished and laid waste like a wilderness, so that none passes through” (Jeremiah 9:11)? This matter, the question as to why Eretz Yisrael was destroyed, was asked of the Sages, i.e., “the wise man,” and of the prophets, “he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken,” but they could not explain it.

עד שפירשו הקב"ה בעצמו דכתיב (ירמיהו ט, יב) ויאמר ה' על עזבם את תורתי וגו' היינו לא שמעו בקולי היינו לא הלכו בה אמר רב יהודה אמר רב שאין מברכין בתורה תחלה
The matter remained a mystery until the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself explained why Eretz Yisrael was laid waste, as it is written in the next verse: “And the Lord said: Because they have forsaken My Torah which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked therein” (Jeremiah 9:12). It would appear that “have not obeyed My voice” is the same as “nor walked therein.” Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: The expression “nor walked therein” means that they do not first recite a blessing over the Torah, and they are therefore liable to receive the severe punishments listed in the verse.

(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוק בְּדִבְרֵי תורָה:

(ב) וְהַעֲרֶב נָא ה' אֱלקֵינוּ אֶת דִּבְרֵי תורָתְךָ בְּפִינוּ וּבְפִיּות עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵינוּ. וְצֶאֱצָאֵי צֶאֱצָאֵינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשרָאֵל. כֻּלָּנוּ יודְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ וְלומְדֵי תורָתֶךָ לִשְׁמָהּ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַמְלַמֵּד תּורָה לְעַמּו יִשרָאֵל:

(ג) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם. אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת תּורָתו: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה'. נותֵן הַתּורָה:

(1) Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to be involved with words of Torah.

(2) And please, Lord, our God, make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of all of Your people, the House of Israel. And may we and our offspring [and the offspring of our offspring] and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel - all of us - be knowing of Your Name and studying Your Torah for its sake. Blessed are You, Lord, Who teaches Torah to His people, Israel.

(3) Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from all of the nations and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, Lord, Who gives the Torah.

תניא רבי שמעון בן יוחאי אומר שלש מתנות טובות נתן הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל וכולן לא נתנן אלא על ידי יסורין אלו הן תורה וארץ ישראל והעולם הבא
Additionally, it was taught in a baraita with regard to affliction: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering, which purified Israel so that they may merit to receive them. These gifts are: Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to-Come.

(כט) הֲל֨וֹא כֹ֧ה דְבָרִ֛י כָּאֵ֖שׁ נְאֻם־ה' וּכְפַטִּ֖ישׁ יְפֹ֥צֵֽץ סָֽלַע׃ (ס)

(29) Behold, My word is like fire—declares the LORD—and like a hammer that shatters rock!

(טו) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם. הַמַּעֲבִיר שֵׁנָה מֵעֵינַי וּתְנוּמָה מֵעַפְעַפָּי.

(טז) וִיהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלקֵינוּ וֵאלקֵי אֲבותֵינוּ שֶׁתַּרְגִּילֵנוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ. וְדַבְּקֵנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ. וְאַל תְּבִיאֵנוּ לא לִידֵי חֵטְא. וְלא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה וְעָון. וְלא לִידֵי נִסָּיון. וְלא לִידֵי בִזָּיון. וְאַל תַּשְׁלֶט בָּנוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע. וְהַרְחִיקֵנוּ מֵאָדָם רָע וּמֵחָבֵר רָע. וְדַבְּקֵנוּ בְּיֵצֶר הַטוב וּבְמַעֲשים טובִים. וְכף אֶת יִצְרֵנוּ לְהִשְׁתַּעְבֶּד לָךְ. וּתְנֵנוּ הַיּום וּבְכָל יום לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל רואֵינוּ. וְתִגְמְלֵנוּ חֲסָדִים טובִים. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַגּומֵל חֲסָדִים טובִים לְעַמּו יִשרָאֵל.

(יז) יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלקַי וֵאלקֵי אֲבותַי שֶׁתַּצִּילֵנִי הַיּום וּבְכָל יום מֵעַזֵּי פָנִים וּמֵעַזּוּת פָּנִים. מֵאָדָם רָע. וּמֵחָבֵר רָע. וּמִשָּׁכֵן רָע. וּמִפֶּגַע רָע. וּמִשּטָן הַמַּשְׁחִית. מִדִּין קָשֶׁה וּמִבַּעַל דִּין קָשֶׁה. בֵּין שֶׁהוּא בֶן בְּרִית וּבֵין שֶׁאֵינו בֶן בְּרִית.

(15) Blessed are you, Hashem, our G-d and king of the world, who removes sleep from my eyes, and slumber from my pupils.

(16) And may it be pleasing before You, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, that you make us accustomed in your Torah, and make us stick to your commandments. And that You do not bring us not to the hands of sin, nor to the hands of transgression and wrongdoing, nor to the hands of trial, and nor to the hands of scorn. And let not the evil inclination rule inside us, and distance us from a bad person and a bad friend. And stick us to the good inclination and to good deeds, and force our inclination to be subdued to You. And grant us today and every day grace and kindness and mercy, in your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us, and reward us with good kindnesses. Blessed are You, Hashem, who rewards good kindnesses upon His nation, Israel.

(17) May it be pleasing before You, Hashem my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers, that save us today and every day from those who are arrogant and from arrogance itself, from a bad person, a bad friend, a bad neighbor, a bad strike, from the destructive Satan, from a harsh law and from a harsh judge, whether he is a son of the covenant or whether he is not a son of the covenant.

"The Netziv (Ha’amek Davar, introduction to Sefer Bereishit) blames the destruction on excessive “righteousness,” that is, “righteous” individuals who treated others who did not exactly conform to their beliefs as heretics (apikorsim). This was, in actuality, a particular form of sinat chinam. The misplaced persecution of those people led to the destruction, because, the Netziv explains, God does not want this kind of excessive “righteousness,” but rather moral conduct in every day affairs.[8] So too, the Chofetz Chaim views sinat chinam as the starting point for the destruction but feels that it alone would not have caused the Churban. Rather the lashon hara (gossip) that followed was the cause of the destruction.[9]
"In reading all of the above, one invariably faces the question of how to understand the multiple and wide-ranging rabbinic statements. What seems clear is that certainly an element of rebuke was intended. It is understood that if a particular sin led to the destruction, observing the corresponding precept is the antidote that will lead to the restoration of the Temple. Ibn Ezra (Lev. 19:17) expresses this concept when he states that by observing the commandment to “Love one’s neighbor,” we will return to our Land, because this mitzvah is the opposite of sinat chinam, which is what destroyed the Second Temple. As has been demonstrated, sinat chinam is not the only offense that Chazal accuse the Jews of committing, and for a full redemption we need to rectify them all. However, because sinat chinam is such a widespread problem, it is the cause for the Churban that is most often quoted. Our prayer is that all the statements of Chazal will be taken to heart and all of the wrongdoings—sinat chinam and the other sins—will be rectified, leading to a complete and final redemption with the building of the Third, permanent Beit Hamikdash" (Rabbi Zivotofsky).
And where do we start? Birkot HaTorah!

(יח) עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ (פ)

(18) She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, And whoever holds on to her is happy.

(יז) דְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכָל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃
(17) Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths, peaceful.
(כא) הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ ה' ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ ונשוב [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃
(21) Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself, And let us come back; Renew our days as of old!
https://www.ou.org/torah/machshava/tzarich-iyun/tzarich_iyun_destruction_of_the_beit_hamikdash/
Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky, Tzarich Iyun: The Destruction of the Beit Hamikdash
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/602286/jewish/Fire-and-Water.htm