Yoḥanan ben Zakkai’s Escape from Jerusalem

Abba Sikkara was the leader of the zealots of Jerusalem [and] the son of the sister of R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai. [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] sent [a message] to him: Come to me in secret. He came, [and R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: Until when will you do this and kill everyone through starvation? [Abba Sikkara] said to him: What can I do, for if I say something to them, they will kill me. [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: Show me a method [so] that I will [be able to] leave [the city, and it is] possible that [through this] there will be [some] small salvation. [Abba Sikkara] said to him: [This is what you should do:] Pretend to be sick and have everyone come and ask [about your welfare, so that word will spread about your ailing condition. Afterward] bring something putrid and place it near you, so that [people] will say that you have died [and are decomposing]. And [then], have your students enter [to bring you to burial] and let no one else come in so that [the zealots do] not notice that you are [still] light. As [the zealots] know that a living [person] is lighter than a dead [person. R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] did this.

R. Eliezer entered from one side and R. Joshua from the other side [to take him out]. When they arrived at the entrance [of the city on the inside, the guards, who were of the faction of the zealots], wanted to pierce him [with their swords, to ascertain that he was actually dead, as was the common practice. Abba Sikkara] said to them: [The Romans] will say [that] they pierce [even] their teacher. [The guards then] wanted [at least] to push him [to see whether he was still alive, in which case he would cry out on account of the pushing. Abba Sikkara] said to them: They will say [that] they push [even] their teacher. [The guards then] opened the gate and he was taken out. When [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] reached there [i.e., the Roman camp], he said: Greetings to you, the king; greetings to you, the king. [Vespasian] said to him: You are liable for two death penalties, one [because] I am not a king and [yet] you call me king, and furthermore, if I am a king, why didn’t you come to me until now? [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: [As for] what you said [about yourself]: I am not a king, in truth, you are a king, [if not now, then in the future]. As if you are not a king, Jerusalem will not be handed over into your hand, as it is written: And the Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one (Isaiah 10:34). And “mighty one” [means] only a king, as it is written: And their mighty one shall be of themselves, [and their ruler shall proceed from the midst of them (Jeremiah 30:21), indicating that “mighty one” parallels “ruler”]. And “Lebanon” [means] only the Temple, as it is stated: That good mountain and the Lebanon (Deuteronomy 3:25). And [as for] what you said [with your second comment]: If I am a king why didn’t you come to me until now, there are zealots among us [who] did not allow us [to do this. Understanding that R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai was prepared to ask him not to destroy the Temple, Vespasian] said to him: If [there is] a barrel of honey and a snake is wrapped around it, wouldn’t they break the barrel in order to [kill] the snake? [In similar fashion, I am forced to destroy the city of Jerusalem in order to kill the zealots barricaded within it. R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] was silent [and did not answer. In light of this,] R. Joseph [later] read [the following verse] about him, and some say [that it was] R. Akiva [who applied the verse to R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: I am the Lord . . .] Who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish (Isaiah 44:25). [As R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] should have said [the following] to [Vespasian in response: In such a case,] we take tongs, remove the snake, and kill it, and [in this way] we leave the barrel [intact. So too, you should kill the rebels and leave the city as it is].

In the meantime, [as they were talking,] a messenger arrived from Rome, [and] said to him: Rise, for the emperor has died, and the noblemen of Rome plan to appoint you as [their] leader [and make you the next emperor. At that time Vespasian] was wearing [only] one shoe, [and when] he tried to put on the other one, it would not go on [his foot]. He [then] tried to remove the other [shoe that he was already wearing, but] it would not come off. He said: What is this? [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: Be not distressed [or troubled, for] good tidings have reached you, as it is written: Good tidings make the bone fat (Proverbs 15:30), [and your feet have grown fatter out of joy and satisfaction. Vespasian said to him:] But what is the remedy? [What must I do in order to put on my shoe? R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: Have someone with whom you are displeased come and pass before you, as it is written: A broken spirit dries the bones (Proverbs 17:22). He did this, and [his shoe] went on [his foot. Vespasian] said to him: Since you are so wise, why didn’t you come to [see] me until now? [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: But didn’t I [already] tell you? [Vespasian] said to him: I also told you [what I had to say. Vespasian then] said to [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai]: I will be going [to Rome to accept my new position], and I will send someone else [in my place to continue besieging the city and waging war against it]. But [before I leave], ask something of me that I [can] give you. [R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai] said to him: Give me Yavneh and its sages [and do not destroy it], and [spare] the dynasty of R. Gamaliel [and do not kill them as if they were rebels], and [lastly give me] doctors to heal R. Tsadok. R. Joseph read [the following verse] about him, and some say [that it was] R. Akiva [who applied the verse to R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: I am the Lord . . .] Who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish (Isaiah 44:25), [as] he should have said to him to leave [the Jews alone] this time. And [why didn’t R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai make this request]? He maintained [that Vespasian] might not do that much [for him], and there would not be even a small [amount of] salvation. [Therefore, he made only a modest request, in the hope that he would receive at least that much.]