When Jews mourn the two destructions of Jerusalem and its Holy Temple on the 9th of Av (July  23, 2026 this year) they begin with reading the Biblical Book of Lamentations and feel tears of sorrow, pains of grief, and the agony of loss.  

But in Hebrew the Biblical Book of Lamentations is named Eaicha—How? So we also should silently think about: How did it happen? How come it happened?  Who was responsible: our foreign enemies? our political and religious leaders? our own hate filled, inflexible, sectarianism? our God? Thus we add to the Biblical Book of Lamentations; the rabbinic anthology of Midrashim about how, why and who—Eaicha Rabba.

The rebirth of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel makes it more important than ever for our generation and its leaders to turn from 9th of Av mourning to seeking an understanding of the lessons our Rabbis learned from these two national historical catastrophes. 

The Talmud (Gitten 56a) reports: The destruction of Jerusalem came through a Kamtza and a Bar Kamtza in this way. A certain man had a friend Kamtza and an enemy Bar Kamtza. Once he made a banquet  and said to his servant, go and bring Kamtza. The man went and brought Bar Kamtza. When the host found Bar Kamtza there he said, “You gossip about me, what are you doing here? Get out.” Bar Kamtza replied, “Since I am here, let me stay and I will pay you for whatever I eat and drink.” The host refused. “Then let me pay you for half the cost of  the banquet.”  “No!” “Then let me pay for the whole banquet.” The host refused and took Bar Kamtza by the arm and pulled him outside. 

Bar Kamtza said to himself, “Since the Rabbis were sitting there and did not stop him, this shows that they agreed with him. I will go and inform against them to the (Roman) Government.” He went and told the (Roman) Governor that the Jews were disloyal. 

The Governor asked how he could test them. He replied, “Send them an offering (to the Temple) and see if they offer it. So he sent with him a fine (unblemished) calf. On the way, Bar Kamtza made a small blemish on the calf’s upper lip, in a place where........

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