Thread by @JYuter

1. This Saturday Night and Sunday Jews will observe the fast of Tisha B'Av / The 9th of Av in which we commemorate a slew of national tragedies, though the biggest ones being the destruction or "Hurban/חורבן" of Jerusalem and the Temple (twice), as well as the exile.

2. As I discuss below, what actually happened on 9 Av is unclear, though there's a rabbinic dictum of "מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי וחובה ליום חייב" - "A meritorious matter on an auspicious day, and a deleterious matter on an inauspicious day" - Ta'anit 29a
joshyuter.com/2003/08/08/jud…

3. I previously shared a post I wrote on the religious reasons given for the destruction, but here I would like to spool them out as a thread for those who didn't feel like reading the whole thing.
joshyuter.com/2018/07/15/jud…

4. The most referenced reason for the destruction is from Yoma 9b which states that the First Temple was destroyed due to the sins of Idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and murder.
sefaria.org.il/Yoma.9b.3?lang…

5. These three sins are known in Rabbinic Judaism for their severity. Per Sanhedrin 74a, unlike any other transgression, a person is not permitted to violate these even under the threat of death.
sefaria.org.il/Sanhedrin.74a.…

6. The gemara in Yoma 9b continues saying that the Second Temple was destroyed due to "baseless hatred," even as the people were getting everything else right.
sefaria.org.il/Yoma.9b.8?lang…

7. The lesson here is explicit: to teach that baseless hatred is as severe as the prohibitions of idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and murder.

8. This is why you'll find the subject of "baseless hatred" discussed extensively on 9 Av. Then again, in the real world, you'll find many justifications to hatred such that people will not consider it "baseless"

9. But Yoma is not the only place where we find reasons given for the Hurban. We find several more in Shabbat 119b. though no distinction is made re the 1st or 2nd Temple. (The passages start at this link)
sefaria.org.il/Shabbat.119b.6…

10. Here we find Abaye stating that Jerusalem was destroyed because people did not observe the Shabbat:

11. For R. Abbahu, Jerusalem was destroyed because שביטלו קריאת שמע שחרית וערבית people did not recite the Shema prayer in the morning and night (and possibly partied too much)

12. R. Hamnuna states Jerusalem was destroyed because שביטלו בה תינוקות של בית רבן schoolchildren were no longer learning Torah

13. According to Ulla, Jerusalem was destroyed because שלא היה להם בושת פנים זה מזה people had no shame before each other

14. For R. Yitzchak, Jerusalem was only destroyed because שהושוו קטן וגדול - they treated the great and the small equally

15. R. Amram b R. Shimon b Abba cites R. Shimon b Abba as saying the destruction happened שלא הוכיחו זה את זה because they did not rebuke each other

16. R. Yehuda states that the Hurban only happened because שביזו בה תלמידי חכמים people disgraced Torah scholars.

17. And finally, according to Rava, Jerusalem was only destroyed because שפסקו ממנה אנשי אמנה there ceased to be honest people, which the gemara later qualifies as honesty in business.

18. I should add that the books of the prophets record additional reasons relating to widespread institutional and religious corruption, at least for the destruction of the First Temple.

19. At any rate, there is clearly no way to have a definitive answer. In theory, none of these should be mutually exclusive but the language of the statements in Shabbat does imply exclusivity.

20. I believe the message from Yoma regarding "baseless hatred" could apply to all the reasons given. Meaning, it's certainly possible these statements were made out of theological sincerity in an attempt to give a definitive reason for the greatest tragedy of the Jewish people

21. It's also possible there is a homiletic component to these teachings, to stress the severity of actions which we would otherwise take for granted.

22. At any rate, I wish a meaningful 9 Av to all those observing.