Meet the Rabbis: R' Yochanan ben Zakkai

Rabbi Yochanan said, "That which is written (Proverbs 28:14), 'Happy is the man who always fears, but the one who hardens his heart will fall into evil.'

Because of Kamtsa and Bar Kamtsa, Jerusalem was destroyed; because of a rooster and a hen, Tur Malka was destroyed; because of a carriage board, Beitar was destroyed."

Because of Kamtsa and Bar Kamtsa, Jerusalem was destroyed: As a certain man whose friend was Kamtsa and whose enemy was Bar Kamtsa arranged a banquet. He said to his servant, "Bring me Kamtsa." He went [and, instead,] he brought him Bar Kamtsa. He came [and] found that he was sitting. He said to him, "How is this? That man is an enemy of this man. What do you want here? Get up and go away!" He said to him, "Since I have [already] come, leave us and I will give you money for that that which I eat and drink."

He said to him, "No." He said to him, "I will give you money for half of your banquet." He said to him, "No." He said to him, "I will give you money for all of your banquet." He said to him, "No." He took him by the hand and picked him up and removed him.

He said [to himself], Since there were rabbis sitting there and they did not protest, it is implied that it was acceptable to them. I will go and tale-bear against them at the king's court.

He went and he told the Caesar, "The Jews are rebelling against you." He said to him, "How can one tell?" He said to him, "Send them a sacrifice - see if they will sacrifice it." He proceeded to send with him a fattened calf. While he was coming, he placed a blemish in its upper lip, and some say in the white of its eye - a place that for us is [considered] a blemish and for them is not [considered] a blemish.

The Rabbis thought to sacrifice it for the sake of peaceful relations with the government. Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulos said to them, "They will say 'Blemished animals can be sacrificed on the altar.'" They thought to kill him, [so] that he not go and say [what happened]. Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulos said to them, "They will say 'One that places a blemish on consecrated animals is [to be] killed.'" Rabbi Yochanan said, "The humility of Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulos destroyed our Temple and burned our Sanctuary and exiled us from our land."

[When the Caesar heard,] he sent Nero Caesar against them. [When] he arrived, he sent an arrow to the east - it went and fell on Jerusalem; to the west - it went and fell on Jerusalem; to the four directions of the sky - it went and fell on Jerusalem. He said to an infant, "Recite your verse for me." He said to him, "And I will give my revenge upon Edom in the hand of my people, etc." (Ezekiel 25:14) He said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, wants to destroy His house and He wants to wipe off His hands with that man [who He uses to destroy it]." He ran away and he went and converted, and out from him came Rabbi Meir.

He [then] sent Vespasian Caesar against them. He arrived [and] besieged it for three years. There were three rich men in [Jerusalem]: Nakdimon ben Gurion, Ben Kalva Savua and Ben Tsitsit Hakesset. [The first was called] Nakdimon ben Gurion because the sun was pierced (nakda) [and held still] for his sake. [The second was called] Ben Kalva Savua because when anyone would enter his house starving like a dog (kalva), he would leave satiated (savua) [The third was called] Ben Tsitsit Hakesset because his fringes (tsitsit) would drag onto pillows (kessatot) on the floor. Some say it is because his pillow (kesset) was placed between the greats of Rome. One said to them, "I will sustain them with wheat and barley," and one said to them, "With wine and salt and oil," and one said to them, "With wood." And the Rabbis praised the one with the wood [the most]. As Rav Chisda would give all of his keys to his servant except the one for the wood [storage], since Rav Chisda said, "A storehouse of wheat requires sixty storehouses of wood [for fuel to bake or cook it]." They had [enough] to sustain them for twenty one years. There was [also] these thugs in [Jerusalem].

The Rabbis said to them, "Let us go out and make peace with [the Romans, but] they did not allow them." [The thugs] said, "Let us go and fight a battle with them." The Rabbis said [back] to them, "The matter will not be helped." [Hence, the thugs] got up [and] burned those stores of wheat and barley and there was a famine. Marta bat Baitos was a wealthy woman of Jerusalem. She sent her messenger and said to him, "Bring me fine flour." As he went, it was [all] sold. He came and said to her, "There is no fine flour, [but] there is white flour." She said to him, "Go, bring it to me." As he went, it was [all] sold. He came and said to her, "There is no white flour, [but] there is dark flour." She said to him, "Go, bring it to me." As he went, it was [all] sold. He came and said to her, "There is no dark flour, [but] there is barley flour." She said to him, "Go, bring it to me." As he went, it was [all] sold. She had taken off her shoe, [but still] said [to herself], I will go out and see if I can find something to eat. Dung got stuck to her foot and she died.

Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakai would read [this verse to be] about her (Deuteronomy 28:56), "The most delicate of you and the pampered who has never tried the sole of her foot." Some say she ate from the cakes of figs of Rabbi Tsadok and got weak and died. As Rabbi Tsadok fasted for forty years that Jerusalem should not be destroyed. When he would eat, one could see [the food] from the outside. And when he became healthy [again], they would bring him cakes of figs [and] he would suck out their liquid and throw them away. When she was about to die, she took out all of her gold and silver and threw it into the market. She said, "What do I need this for?" And this is [the meaning of] what is written (Ezekiel 7:19), "They will throw their silver into the streets."

Abba Sikra, the head of the thugs of Jerusalem, was the son of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakai's sister. [Rabban Yochanan] sent him [a message], "Come privately to me." He came. [Rabban Yochanan] said to him, "Until when will you do this and kill the world with famine." He said to him, "What should I do? Since, if I say anything to them, they will kill me." He said to him,"Show me a solution for me, that I should get out; maybe there will be a small salvation [from it]." He said to him, "Act as if you are sick, and have everyone come and ask about you; and [then] bring something putrid and have it lay with you and they will say that you have died. And have your students bring you out and no other men should bring you out, so that we don't become aware that you are light, since they know that a living person is lighter than a dead one." He did this.

Rabbi Eliezer went in on one side and Rabbi Yehoshua went in on the other side. When they came to the opening, [the thug gate keepers] wanted to stab him. They said to them, "[The Romans] will say, 'they stabbed their rabbi.'" And [then] they wanted to jostle him. They said to them, "They will say, 'they jostled their rabbi.'" They opened the gate.

He went out. He got there [and] said, "Peace to you, O king, peace to you, O king." [Vespasian] said to him, "You have made yourself guilty of two death penalties: first, since I am not a king and you have called me, 'king;' and also, if I am a king, why did you not come to me until now?" He said to him, "That which you said, 'I am not a king,'

you will be a king; since were you not a king, Jerusalem would not be delivered into your hand, as it is written (Isaiah 10:34), 'and the Levanon will fall by a mighty one.' And 'mighty' can only be a king, as it is written (Jeremiah 30:21), 'And his mighty one shall be from him.' And Levanon can only be the Temple, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 3:25), 'this goodly mountain and the Levanon.' And that which you said, 'If I am a king, why did you not come to me until now;' the thugs that we have with us did not allow us." He said to him, "If there was a barrel of honey with a serpent wrapped over it, would one not break the barrel for the sake of [getting rid] of the serpent?" He was silent. Rav Yosef - and some say, Rabbi Akiva - would read [this verse to be] about this (Isaiah 44:25), "He turns back the wise and renders their knowledge foolish." He should have said to him, "We take tongs and we take the serpent and kill him and leave the barrel."

Bye and bye, a messenger came to him from Rome. He said to him, "Get up, the [reigning] Caesar has died, and those dignitaries of Rome have placed you at the helm."

He had put on one of his shoes, [and] wanted to put the other one on. It would not go on. He tried to remove the [first one and] it would not come off. He said, "What is this?" He said to him, "Do not be troubled; it is a good tiding that has come to you, as it is written (Proverbs 15:30), 'a good tiding fattens the bone.'" [Vespasian said to him,] "But what is its remedy?" [Rabbi Yochanan responded,] "Bring someone who is hard for you to take and have him pass in front of you, as it is written (Proverbs 17:22), 'And a lowly spirit dries the bone.'" He did this [and the other shoe] went on. He said to him, "And since you are so wise, until now why did you not come to me? He said to him, "Didn't I [already] tell you?" He said to him, "I also [already] told you." He said to him, "I am leaving and I will send someone else, but ask something that I can give you."

He said to him, "Give me Yavneh and her Sages and the line of Rabban Gamliel and a cure to heal Rabbi Tsadok..."