אגדתא תענית כט א

תַּנְיָא כְּשֶׁחָרַשׁ טוֹרָנוּסְרוּפוּס הָרָשָׁע אֶת הַהֵיכָל נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה עַל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לַהֲרִיגָה בָּא אוֹתוֹ הֶגְמוֹן וְעָמַד בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְאָמַר בַּעַל הַחוֹטֶם מִתְבַּקֵּשׁ בַּעַל הַחוֹטֶם מִתְבַּקֵּשׁ שָׁמַע רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אֲזַל טְשָׁא מִינַּיְיהוּ אֲזַל לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּצִנְעָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִי מַצֵּילְנָא לָךְ מַיְיתֵית לִי לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ הֵן אָמַר לֵיהּ אִשְׁתְּבַע לִי אִשְׁתְּבַע לֵיהּ סְלֵיק לְאִיגָּרָא נָפֵיל וּמִית וּגְמִירִי דְּכִי גָּזְרִי גְּזֵירְתָּא וּמִית חַד מִינַּיְיהוּ מְבַטְּלִי לִגְזֵרְתַּיְיהוּ יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה אוֹתוֹ הֶגְמוֹן מְזֻומָּן לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן מִשֶּׁחָרַב הַבַּיִת בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה נִתְקַבְּצוּ כִּיתּוֹת כִּיתּוֹת שֶׁל פִּרְחֵי כְּהוּנָּה וּמַפְתְּחוֹת הַהֵיכָל בְּיָדָן וְעָלוּ לְגַג הַהֵיכָל וְאָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם הוֹאִיל וְלָא זָכִינוּ לִהְיוֹת גִּזְבָּרִין נֶאֱמָנִים יִהְיוּ מַפְתְּחוֹת מְסוּרוֹת לָךְ וּזְרָקוּם כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה וְיָצְתָה כְּעֵין פִּיסַּת יָד וְקִיבְּלָתַן מֵהֶם וְהֵם קָפְצוּ וְנָפְלוּ לְתוֹךְ הָאוּר וַעֲלֵיהֶן קוֹנֵן יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא מַשָּׂא גֵּיא חִזָּיוֹן מַה לָּךְ אֵפוֹא כִּי עָלִית כֻּלָּךְ לַגַּגּוֹת תְּשֻׁאוֹת מְלֵאָה עִיר הוֹמִיָּה קִרְיָה עַלִּיזָה חֲלָלַיִךְ לֹא חַלְלֵי חֶרֶב וְלֹא מֵתֵי מִלְחָמָה אַף בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נֶאֱמַר מְקַרְקַר קִר וְשׁוֹעַ אֶל הָהָר:

Taanit 29a

§ The mishna taught that on the Ninth of Av the city of Jerusalem was plowed. It is taught in a baraita: When the wicked Turnus Rufus plowed the Sanctuary, a decree was issued against Rabban Gamliel for execution. A certain Roman officer came and stood in the study hall and said surreptitiously: The man with the nose is wanted; the man with the nose is wanted. This was a hint that Rabban Gamliel, who stood out in his generation like a nose protruding from a face, was sought by the government. Rabban Gamliel heard and went into hiding. The Roman officer went to him in private, and said to him: If I save you from death, will you bring me into the World-to-Come? Rabban Gamliel said to him: Yes. The officer said to Rabban Gamliel: Swear to me. He swore to him. The officer ascended to the roof, fell, and died. And the Romans had a tradition that when they issued a decree and one of their advisors died, they would cancel the decree. The officer’s sacrifice saved Rabban Gamliel’s life. A Divine Voice emerged and said: That officer is designated for the life of the World-to-Come.

The Sages taught: When the Temple was destroyed for the first time, many groups of young priests gathered together with the Temple keys in their hands. And they ascended to the roof of the Sanctuary and said before God: Master of the Universe, since we did not merit to be faithful treasurers, and the Temple is being destroyed, let the Temple keys be handed to You. And they threw them upward, and a kind of palm of a hand emerged and received the keys from them. And the young priests jumped from the roof and fell into the fire of the burning Temple. And the prophet Isaiah lamented over them: “The burden of the Valley of Vision. What ails you now that you have all gone up to the roofs? You that were full of uproar, a tumultuous city, a joyous town, your slain are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle” (Isaiah 22:1–2). This is referring to the young priests who died by throwing themselves off the roof into the fire. And even with regard to the Holy One, Blessed be He, it is stated: “For it is a day of trouble, and of trampling, and of confusion for the Lord of hosts, in the Valley of Vision; a shouting over walls and a cry to the mountain” (Isaiah 22:5). This verse indicates that even God shouts over the destruction of the Temple.

משנה סנהדרין ד׳:ה׳

לְפִיכָךְ נִבְרָא אָדָם יְחִידִי, לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁכָּל הַמְאַבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ אִבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וְכָל הַמְקַיֵּם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ קִיֵּם עוֹלָם מָלֵא.

Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5

Therefore, Adam the first man was created alone, to teach you that with regard to anyone who destroys one soul from the Jewish people, i.e., kills one Jew, the verse ascribes him blame as if he destroyed an entire world, as Adam was one person, from whom the population of an entire world came forth. And conversely, anyone who sustains one soul from the Jewish people, the verse ascribes him credit as if he sustained an entire world.

גיטין מ״ב ב:י״ז

אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ עֶבֶד שֶׁמְּכָרוֹ רַבּוֹ לִקְנָס מָכוּר אוֹ אֵינוֹ מָכוּר

Gittin 42b:17

§ The Gemara discusses the penalty paid when an ox kills a slave: A dilemma was raised before the Sages: If a slave whose master sold him to another person only with regard to the penalty, meaning that if this slave were to be killed by an ox then the penalty would be paid to the purchaser, is he sold or is he not sold? In other words, does this sale take effect or not?

גיטין מ״ב ב:י״ח

תִּיבְּעֵי לְרַבִּי מֵאִיר תִּיבְּעֵי לְרַבָּנַן תִּיבְּעֵי לְרַבִּי מֵאִיר עַד כָּאן לָא קָאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר אָדָם מַקְנֶה דָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא בָּא לָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא כְּגוֹן פֵּירוֹת דֶּקֶל דַּעֲבִידִי דְּאָתוּ אֲבָל הָכָא מִי יֵימַר דְּמִינְּגַח וְאִם תִּמְצָא לוֹמַר דְּמִינְּגַח מִמַּאי דִּמְשַׁלֵּם

Gittin 42b:18

The Gemara explains: Raise the dilemma according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, who holds that one can transfer ownership of an entity that has not yet come into the world, and raise the dilemma according to the opinion of the Rabbis, who hold that one cannot. Raise the dilemma according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, as Rabbi Meir states that a person can transfer ownership of an entity that has not yet come into the world only in a case such as produce of a date palm, as this is an entity whose manner it is to come, and since one can be assured of the dates growing, one can sell them even beforehand. However, here, who will say that the slave will be gored? And even if you say that he will be gored, from where do you know that the owner of the ox who gored him will pay the penalty?

אבן עזרא על ישעיהו כ״ב:א׳

יש אומרים כי טעם עלית לגגות לקטר למלאכת השמים, ולפי דעתי שהטעם עלותם לראות החיילות הצרות על ירושלם כי כן מנהג המדינות:

Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 22:1

(2) Thou art wholly gone up to the house-tops. Some think, they went up in order to offer incense to the host of heaven, but my opinion is, that they went up in order to see the force that besieged Jerusalem, as is generally done under such circumstances.

מלבי"ם על ישעיהו כ״ב:ה׳

מספר איך לא השכילו במלחמתם ולא ידעו הנהגת המלחמה, שהלא בעת בא האויב בעוד שהחומה היתה חזקה ולא נפרצו בה פרצות אז היה להם לקחת את נשק בית היער ולהלחם מעל החומה, והם עשו בהפך, תחלה האויב קרקר ועקר את קיר החומה, והם לא עמדו נגדו רק ושוע אל ההר, פנו לישועה אל ההר להשגב בהר ציון, והניחו את האויב להשחית החומה:

Malbim on Isaiah 22:5

When the enemy was upon them, they should have taken their weapons and went to the gates and fought, instead the did the opposite, first the enemy breached the walls and they simply watched

תענית כ״ט א:י׳

וּתְשִׁיעִי סָמוּךְ לַחֲשֵׁיכָה הֵצִיתוּ בּוֹ אֶת הָאוּר, וְהָיָה דּוֹלֵק וְהוֹלֵךְ כׇּל הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי פָנָה הַיּוֹם כִּי יִנָּטוּ צִלְלֵי עָרֶב״. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִלְמָלֵי הָיִיתִי בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר לֹא קְבַעְתִּיו אֶלָּא בָּעֲשִׂירִי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרוּבּוֹ שֶׁל הֵיכָל בּוֹ נִשְׂרַף. וְרַבָּנַן — אַתְחַלְתָּא דְפוּרְעֲנוּתָא עֲדִיפָא.

Taanit 29a:10

And on the ninth, adjacent to nightfall, they set fire to it, and it continuously burned the entire day, as it is stated: “Woe unto us, for the day has declined, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out” (Jeremiah 4:6). This verse is interpreted as a prophecy about the evening when the Temple was burned. And this is what Rabbi Yoḥanan meant when he said: Had I been alive in that generation, I would have established the fast only on the tenth of Av because most of the Sanctuary was burned on that day. And the Sages, who established the fast on the ninth, how do they respond to that comment? They maintain that it is preferable to mark the beginning of the tragedy.

תענית כ״ט א:י״ב

אָמְרוּ: כְּשֶׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב הָיָה, וּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת הָיָה, וּמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית הָיְתָה, וּמִשְׁמַרְתָּהּ שֶׁל יְהוֹיָרִיב הָיְתָה. וְהַלְּוִיִּם הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה, וְעוֹמְדִין עַל דּוּכָנָם. וּמָה שִׁירָה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים? ״וַיָּשֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת אוֹנָם וּבְרָעָתָם יַצְמִיתֵם״, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לוֹמַר ״יַצְמִיתֵם ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ״, עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ נׇכְרִים וּכְבָשׁוּם. וְכֵן בַּשְּׁנִיָּה.

Taanit 29a:12

The Sages said: When the Temple was destroyed for the first time, that day was the Ninth of Av; and it was the conclusion of Shabbat; and it was the year after a Sabbatical Year; and it was the week of the priestly watch of Jehoiarib; and the Levites were singing the song and standing on their platform. And what song were they singing? They were singing the verse: “And He brought upon them their own iniquity, and He will cut them off in their own evil” (Psalms 94:23). And they did not manage to recite the end of the verse: “The Lord our God will cut them off,” before gentiles came and conquered them. And likewise, the same happened when the Second Temple was destroyed.