Gittin 56a (נו.) — the Talmud in English

He said to him,

the host:

No,

I will not agree to let you remain at my feast!

He again

said to him,

Bar Kamtza:

I will give you the cost of half your feast. He said to him,

the host:

No! Bar Kamtza again said to the host: I will add to this and give you the cost of half the entire feast, provided that you let me stay; the host said to him: No, I do not agree!].

Bar Kamtza returned and said to the host: “I will add to this and give you the cost of half the entire feast, provided that you let me stay.” The host said to him: “No, I do not agree”!

He again

said to him,

Bar Kamtza:

I will give you the cost of your entire feast. He said to him: No! Bar Kamtza again said to the host: I will add to this and give you the cost of the entire feast, provided that you let me be; the host said to him: No!].

Bar Kamtza returned and said to the host: “I will add to this and give you the cost of the entire feast, provided that you let me be.” The host said to him: “No”!

The host took

the hand of

Bar Kamtza

in his hand,

stood him up and expelled him. The host took Bar Kamtza by the hand, stood him up, and expelled him from the feast].

The host took bar Kamtza by the hand, stood him up, and removed him from the feast.

Bar Kamtza said

to himself:

Since the Sages were sitting there and did not protest against him,

the host,

conclude from this that they are pleased with it. Bar Kamtza said to himself: Since the Sages were sitting there and did not protest to the host over his humiliating me, it follows that they approve of the deed he performed].

Bar Kamtza said to himself: “Since the Sages were sitting there and did not protest against the host for humiliating me, it follows that they approved of what he did.”

And since this was so:

I will go and slander them before the king. I will go and denounce them before the king].

I will go and inform against them before the king.

Bar Kamtza

went and

said to the emperor: The Jews have rebelled against you! Bar Kamtza went and said to the Roman emperor: The Jews have rebelled against you!].

Bar Kamtza went and said to the Roman emperor: “The Jews have rebelled against you”!

The emperor said to him,

the emperor to Bar Kamtza:

Who says so!? The emperor said to Bar Kamtza: Who says so? That is, how will you prove to me that the Jews have indeed rebelled against me!?].

The emperor said to Bar Kamtza: Who will say so—that is, how will you prove to me that the Jews indeed rebelled against me!?].

Bar Kamtza said to him,

Bar Kamtza to the emperor:

Send them an offering, and see whether they sacrifice it! Bar Kamtza said to the emperor: Let me prove to you that the Jews have indeed rebelled against you; send them an offering,

and see whether they sacrifice it].

He went and sent by his hand a choice three-year-old calf, [

choice]

and on the way he placed a blemish on it, on the lips—and some say: in the eyes,

a place that for us

on the altar

would constitute a blemish, but for them—

for a gentile on his altar —

it would not constitute a blemish,

since no limb was missing. The emperor went and sent by the hand of Bar Kamtza a three-year-old calf as an offering. While he was coming to Jerusalem with the offering, Bar Kamtza inflicted a blemish on the offering, on the calf’s lips; and some say that he inflicted a blemish in the pupil of its eye. With regard to Jews, a blemish in these places is considered a blemish, whereas with regard to a gentile offering an offering on his altar, it is not considered a blemish, since no limb is missing].

The emperor then sent a three-year-old calf as an offering in bar Kamtza’s charge. While bar Kamtza was bringing the offering to Jerusalem, he inflicted a blemish on the calf’s lips. Some say that he blemished the pupil of its eye. For an Israelite, a blemish in either of these places renders an animal unfit; but for a gentile offering a sacrifice on his private altar, it is not considered a blemish, since no limb is missing.

The Sages considered sacrificing it,

even though it had a blemish,

for the sake of maintaining peace with the monarchy. The Sages in Jerusalem considered sacrificing the offering despite its blemish, for the sake of maintaining peace with the monarchy].

The Sages in Jerusalem considered offering the sacrifice despite its blemish, for the sake of peace with the kingdom.

Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas said to them,

to the Sages: If you indeed sacrifice it,

they will say: Blemished animals may be offered on the altar,

and the Sages accepted his words.

And since this was so:

the Sages considered

the Sages

killing

Bar Kamtza,

so that Bar Kamtza would not go

Bar Kamtza

and say

to the king. The Sages wanted to kill Bar Kamtza, so that he would not go and tell the emperor that they had not sacrificed his offering].

The Sages wanted to kill bar Kamtza, so that he would not go and tell the emperor that they had not offered his sacrifice.

Rabbi Zechariah said to them: Do not do this either, lest

they say:

One who inflicts a blemish on consecrated animals shall be killed,

for they will think that Bar Kamtza was killed because he inflicted a blemish on consecrated animals and violated the verse: “There shall be no blemish in it.”

Rabbi Zechariah held that the emperor would not be angry, because he thought that the emperor intended the offering for the sake of Heaven and would understand that they had refrained from sacrificing it out of regard for the honor of Heaven. The Sages accepted his words and did not realize that the king was testing their loyalty to him through this offering.

Bar Kamtza went and told the emperor that they had not sacrificed his offering because they were rebelling against him. As a result, the emperor ordered the destruction of the Temple, its burning, and the exile of the Jewish people from their land.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The humility of Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas, [

his tolerance, in that he tolerated Bar Kamtza and did not kill him ]

destroyed our House, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.

The Gemara relates how the conquest of Jerusalem took place:

He sent against them Nero Caesar. The emperor sent his army against Jerusalem, under the command of Nero Caesar ].

The emperor sent his army against Jerusalem under the command of Neron Caesar .

When

Nero Caesar

came, he shot an arrow eastward, and it came and fell in Jerusalem;

he shot an arrow

westward, and it came and fell in Jerusalem;

he shot an arrow

toward the four directions of the heavens, and it came and fell in Jerusalem. When Nero Caesar came close to Jerusalem and shot an arrow toward the east, the arrow traveled and fell in Jerusalem. Likewise, when he shot an arrow toward the west and toward the other directions of the heavens, the arrow traveled and fell in Jerusalem].

When Neron Caesar came close to Jerusalem and shot an arrow eastward, the arrow traveled and fell in Jerusalem. The same occurred when he shot an arrow westward and toward the other directions: the arrow traveled and fell in Jerusalem.

Nero Caesar said to him,

Nero Caesar

to a child a child]:

a child]:

Recite your verse for me!

That child said to him: “

I will wreak My vengeance upon Edom by the hand

of

by means of

My people Israel,”

that is: They will destroy the House of the Holy One, blessed be He, and I will take vengeance upon them through the Jewish people.

Nero Caesar said

to himself:

The Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to destroy His House, and wishes to wipe His hands on that man. Nero Caesar said to himself: The Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to destroy His Temple and wipe His hands on that man, meaning Nero himself. That is: Ultimately, the Holy One, blessed be He, will take vengeance upon me].

Neron Caesar said to himself: “The Holy One, blessed be He, wants to destroy His Temple and wipe His hands on that man,” meaning Neron. In other words, in the end the Holy One, blessed be He, will take vengeance against me.

Nero Caesar fled

Nero Caesar

and went and converted, and Rabbi Meir emerged from him. Nero Caesar fled from the campaign and converted, and Rabbi Meir emerged from him].

Neron Caesar fled from the campaign and converted, and Rabbi Meir descended from him.

He sent him—

the Roman emperor—

against them to Vespasian Caesar, and he came and besieged it for three years. Because of his flight, the Roman emperor sent Vespasian Caesar in his place, and he laid siege to the city of Jerusalem for three years].

Because Neron had fled, the Roman emperor sent Vespasian Caesar in his place, and he laid siege to the city of Jerusalem for three years.

There were in it three wealthy men: At that time there were in Jerusalem three wealthy men, whose names were:

At that time there were three wealthy men in Jerusalem, whose names were:

Nakdimon ben Guryon, Ben Kalba Savua, and Ben Tzitzit HaKesset.

The Gemara explains why they were called by these names:

Nakdimon ben Guryon:

His name was not actually so; his name was “Buni.” He was called Nakdimon

because the sun pierced pierced the clouds; shone

the clouds and shone

for him on his account,

and his father’s name was Guryon [Ta’anit 20a].

Once, the Jewish people went up to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage, but they had no water to drink. Nakdimon went to a certain master and said to him: Lend me twelve springs of water, and if I do not give you their value by the appointed date, I will give you twelve talents of silver in exchange for them. He set a time for repaying him for the water. When the appointed time arrived and no rain had fallen until late afternoon, Nakdimon entered the Temple and stood in prayer. Immediately, the heavens became covered with clouds, and rain fell until the twelve springs of water were filled. The master said to Nakdimon: “I still have a claim against you by which I can collect my money from you, for the sun has already set and the rain fell in my domain.” Nakdimon returned and entered the Temple and stood in prayer, and immediately the clouds dispersed and the sun shone [there, 19b].

Ben Kalba Savua: that

he would bring in guests, and

everyone who entered his home hungry as a dog would leave his home satiated.

Ben Tzitzit HaKesset: because his ritual fringe the ritual fringe of his tallit

of his prayer shawl

dragged over cushions,

because he did not walk on the ground but on them.

Some say: “Ben Tzitzit” was his name; and why was he called “HaKesset”?

Because

his cushion his seat

his seat

was placed among the nobles of Rome

when he went to Rome to greet the emperor.

One

of those wealthy men

said to them,

to the residents of Jerusalem:

I will feed them with wheat and barley. One of these wealthy men said: I will feed all the inhabitants of the city with wheat and barley].

One of these wealthy men said: “I will feed all the inhabitants of the city with wheat and barley.”

And one

of those wealthy men

said to them:

I will feed them

with wine, salt, and oil. And another of the wealthy men said: I will feed the inhabitants of the city with wine, salt, and oil].

Another of the wealthy men said: “I will feed the inhabitants of the city with wine, salt, and oil.”

And one said to them: With wood. And the third said: I will supply wood for everyone].

The third said: “I will supply wood for everyone.”

And the Sages praised the one who supplied wood, [

the Sages praised that wealthy man who said: I will supply wood].

And similarly, we find that Rav Ḥisda considered wood extremely important:

For Rav Ḥisda would hand over every key to his attendant except that of the wood stores,

because

Rav Ḥisda said: One storehouse of wheat requires sixty storehouses of wood. He would hand all the keys to his storehouses to his attendant, except the keys to the wood stores; and this was because he would say: For every storehouse of wheat, sixty storehouses of wood are needed].

He gave his attendant all the keys to his storehouses except the keys to the wood stores. He said: “For every storehouse of wheat, sixty storehouses of wood are needed.”

Those wealthy men had enough

for those wealthy men

to feed

the residents of Jerusalem

for twenty-one years. The provisions possessed by those wealthy men were sufficient to feed all the inhabitants of the city for twenty-one years].

The supplies belonging to those wealthy men were sufficient to feed all the inhabitants of the city for twenty-one years.

There were among them,

among the people of Jerusalem,

those violent men. There were among the people of Jerusalem violent men, that is, empty and reckless men eager for war].

There were among the people of Jerusalem violent men, meaning empty-headed and reckless men eager for war.

The Sages said to them,

to those violent men:

Let us go out and make peace with them. The Sages said to those violent men: Let us go out and make peace with the Romans].

The Sages said to those violent men: “Let us go out and make peace with the Romans.”

They did not allow them,

the violent men,

to go out and make peace. The violent men did not allow the Sages to go out and make peace].

They said to them,

those violent men to the Sages: On the contrary,

let us go out and wage war against them. The violent men said to the Sages: Let us go out and wage war against the Romans].

The violent men said to the Sages: “Let us go out and wage war against the Romans.”

The Sages said to them,

to those violent men:

The matter will not succeed. The Sages said to the violent men: We will not succeed in defeating them].

The Sages said to the violent men: “We will not succeed in defeating them.”

Those violent men arose

and

burned those storehouses of wheat and barley, and there was famine. The violent men went and burned the storehouses of wheat and barley, so that they would be forced to fight].

The violent men went and burned the storehouses of wheat and barley, so that the people would be forced to fight.

And there was famine in Jerusalem! The Gemara relates how severe the famine was:

Marta bat Baitos was a wealthy woman of Jerusalem. There was a woman in Jerusalem named Marta bat Baitos, and she was “the wealthy woman of Jerusalem”].

There was a woman in Jerusalem named Marta bat Baitos, and she was “the wealthy woman of Jerusalem.”

She sent her agent and said to him: Go and bring me fine flour. Marta sent her agent to purchase fine flour for making refined bread].

Marta sent her agent to buy fine flour for making refined bread.

By the time he went, it had been sold; he came

the agent

and said to her,

to Marta:

There is no white flour,

but

coarse flour is available. By the time the agent reached the marketplace, all the fine flour had already been sold. The agent returned and said to Marta: Fine flour for making refined bread is gone, but flour for making coarse bread is still available; shall I go and bring it?].

By the time the agent reached the market, all the fine flour had already been sold. The agent returned and said to Marta: “There is no more fine flour for making refined bread, but flour for making coarse bread is still available. Shall I go and bring it?”

She said to him: Go and bring it for me. By the time he went, it had been sold. He came and said to her: There is no coarse flour, but barley flour is available. She said to him: Go and bring it for me. By the time he went, it had been sold. Marta said to her agent: Go and bring me that flour. However, by the time he went to bring the flour, even that flour had been sold. He returned and said to Marta: The flour you requested is gone, but flour made from barley is still available. She said to him: Go and bring me this flour; however, by the time the agent reached the market to purchase it, even it was gone].

Marta said to her agent: “Go and bring me that flour.” But by the time he went to bring it, that flour too had been sold. He returned and said to Marta: “The flour you requested is gone, but barley flour is still available.” She said to him: “Go and bring me that flour.” But by the time the agent arrived to purchase it, that too was gone.

Marta had removed

her

shoe and said: I will go and see whether I can find something to eat. At that time Marta had removed her shoes and was barefoot, and she said: I will go myself and see whether I can find something to eat].

At that moment Marta was barefoot, and she said: “I will go myself to see whether I can find something to eat.”

A mass of animal dung became attached to her foot, and she died. A mass of animal dung became attached to Marta’s bare foot, and because she was an istניס—a fastidious person—she died].

A piece of animal dung stuck to Marta’s bare foot, and because she was delicate and unable to tolerate it, she died.

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai recited concerning her,

concerning Marta,

the verse stated in the passage of rebuke [Deuteronomy 28:56]: “

The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot

upon the ground,” from indulgence and delicacy.

on the ground, out of tenderness and delicacy.”

Some say

that the incident that caused her death did not occur in this manner; rather, because of her hunger she

found Rabbi Tzadok’s dried figs he was ill—as the Gemara goes on to explain—and he would suck the liquid from the dried figs and discard them] on the ground and

who was ill—as the Gemara explains below—and would suck the liquid from the figs and then throw them away. She found them on the ground and

ate them, and she became fastidious and died she died because of her fastidiousness], as they had the odor of Rabbi Tzadok’s illness.

from her delicate nature, because they carried the odor of Rabbi Tzadok’s illness.

The Gemara explains what is meant by Rabbi Tzadok’s dried figs:

Rabbi Tzadok

was

sitting in a fast for forty years, so that Jerusalem would not be destroyed. Rabbi Tzadok fasted—for forty years before the destruction—

so that Jerusalem would not be destroyed].

so that Jerusalem would not be destroyed.

As a result of the many fasts:

When

Rabbi Tzadok

would eat something, it could be seen from outside. When Rabbi Tzadok ate something, the food could be seen through his throat, which had become emaciated from hunger.

When Rabbi Tzadok ate something, the food could be seen through his emaciated throat, which had been weakened by hunger.

And when he recovered, they would bring him dried figs; he would suck out their moisture and throw them away.

[And when he had completed his fasts and wished to restore himself, they would bring him dried figs, and he would suck out the moisture in them and throw them away].

Marta ate those discarded dried figs, and as a result she fell ill and eventually died.

When Marta’s soul was about to depart

from her body,

she took out all her gold and silver and threw it into the marketplace,

because

she said: “What do I need this for?!”

[When Marta was close to death, she took out all her gold and silver and threw it into the marketplace, because she said: “What need have I for all of this?”].

And this is what is written

[Ezekiel 7:19]: “

They will throw their silver into the streets,

and their gold will be for disgust; their silver and gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord; they will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their insides, because it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.”

The Gemara continues to recount the developments in Jerusalem as a result of the siege and famine: “

Abba Sakkara” —

the leader of the Jerusalem zealots —

was the son of the sister of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai.

[The leader of the Jerusalem zealots—his name was “Abba Sakkara”] —

was the son of the sister of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai].

He sent him—

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai sent a messenger with a request:

Come to me secretly.

[Come to me discreetly, so that the other zealots will not notice you].

He came

[he came]—“Abba Sakkara” came to Rabbi Yohanan;

Rabbi Yohanan said to him

Rabbi Yohanan:

How long will you continue to do this and kill everyone through famine!?

[How long will you continue doing this, thereby killing this entire population through famine!?].

Abba Sakkara said to

Rabbi Yohanan:

But

what can I do!?

For if I say anything to them, they will kill me!

[What am I capable of doing? If I merely say anything to them concerning this matter, they will kill me].

Rabban Yohanan said to

Abba Sakkara:

Find a solution for me, so that I may leave,

and

perhaps there will be some small salvation.

[Find some stratagem by which I can leave the city without the zealots preventing me, for perhaps this will bring a small measure of salvation to the inhabitants of the city].

He said to him

[he offered him this advice:] Abba Sakkara:

Spread a report that you are ill, and let everyone come and inquire after you; then bring something putrid and place it beside you, and let them say that you have died.

[Spread a report that you are ill, and as a result people will come to inquire after your welfare and it will become known that you are ill; after some time, place something putrid beside you,

so that the report will spread that Rabban Yohanan has died].

Let your disciples carry you in, and let no one else carry you, so that they will not realize from your lightness that you are alive, for they know that the living are lighter than the dead;

and indeed

he did

Rabbi Yohanan

so.

[Issue an instruction that only your disciples should carry your bier, and no other person, so that they will not notice that you are light when they come, for the people involved in burial know that the living are lighter than the dead and will realize that you are not dead; and so Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai did].

He entered it,

that is, they took up his bier:

Rabbi Eliezer on one side and Rabbi Yehoshua on the other.

When they reached the gate, they wanted

those zealots

to stab him, but

Abba Sakkara said to them:

“They will say: They stabbed the Rabban.”

[When the funeral procession reached the gate of Jerusalem—where the zealots stood guard, so that no one would dare leave and make peace with the Romans—the zealots wanted to stab the “dead man” with spears, to make certain that he was indeed dead and was not deceiving them;

Abba Sakkara said to them: Do not do this, for they will say: “They stabbed the Rabban.”].

The zealots wanted

the zealots

to push him, but

Abba Sakkara said to them:

“They will say: They pushed the Rabban.”

[The zealots at least wanted to push the “dead man,” so that he would cry out if he were alive; Abba Sakkara said to them: Do not do this either, because they will say: “They pushed the Rabban.”]

The zealots opened

the zealots

the gate, and he went out.

[The zealots opened the gate, and Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai left the city on the bier].

When

[when] Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai

reached there,

the place of Vespasian,

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai said

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai said to Vespasian:

“Peace be upon you, king!”

[Peace be upon you, king!]

“Peace be upon you, king!”

Vespasian said to

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai:

You are liable for two death penalties:

One, that

this

I am not a king, yet you call me king; and furthermore, if I am a king, why have you not come to me until now!?

[You are liable for two deaths:

The first: I am not a king, and you are mocking me by calling me “king”].

The second: If I am indeed a king, as you say, why have you not come to me until today!?].

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai said to

Vespasian: I will answer your claims one by one:

A.

Regarding what you said, “I am not a king”:

[Regarding what you said: “I am not a king.”]