Kamtza and bar Kamtza

R. Yoḥanan said: What [is the meaning of that] which is written: Happy is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart shall fall into mischief (Proverbs 28:14)? Jerusalem was destroyed on account of Kamtza and bar Kamtza. [The place known as] the king’s mountain was destroyed on account of a rooster and a hen. [The city of] Beitar was destroyed on account of a shaft from a chariot.

Jerusalem was destroyed on account of Kamtza and bar Kamtza. [This is] as [there was] a certain man whose friend [was named] Kamtza and whose enemy [was named] bar Kamtza. He [once] made [a large] feast [and] said to his servant: Go bring me [my friend] Kamtza. [The servant] went [and mistakenly] brought him [his enemy] bar Kamtza. [The man who was hosting the feast] came and found [bar Kamtza] sitting [at the feast. The host] said to [bar Kamtza]: That man is the enemy of that man [that is, you are my enemy]. What [then] do you want here? Arise [and] leave. [Bar Kamtza] said to him, “Since I have [already] come, let me stay and I will give you money [for] whatever I eat and drink. [Just do not embarrass me by sending me out.” The host] said to him, “No, [you must leave.” Bar Kamtza] said to him, “I will give you money for half of the feast; [just do not send me away.” The host] said to him, “No, [you must leave.” Bar Kamtza then] said to him, “I will give you money for the entire feast; [just let me stay.” The host] said to him, “No, [you must leave.” Finally, the host] took [bar Kamtza] by his hand, stood him up, and took him out. [After having been cast out from the feast, bar Kamtza] said [to himself]: Since the sages were sitting [there] and did not protest [the actions of the host, although they saw how he humiliated me], learn from it that they were content [with what he did]. I will [therefore] go and inform against them to the king.

He went [and] said to the emperor, “The Jews have rebelled against you.” [The emperor] said to him, “Who says [that this is the case?” Bar Kamtza] said to him, “[Go and test them;] send them an offering [to be brought in honor of the government, and] see whether they [will] sacrifice it.

[The emperor] went and sent with him [a choice] three-year-old calf. While [bar Kamtza] was coming [with the calf to the Temple], he made a blemish on [the calf’s] upper lip. And some say [he made the blemish] on [its] eyelids, a place where according to us [i.e., halakhah, it] is a blemish, but according to them [i.e., gentile rules for their offerings, it] is not a blemish. [Therefore, when bar Kamtza brought the animal to the Temple, the priests would not sacrifice it on the altar since it was blemished, but they also could not explain this satisfactorily to the gentile authorities, who did not consider it to be blemished. The blemish notwithstanding,] the sages thought to sacrifice [the animal as an offering] due to [the imperative to maintain] peace [with the] government. R. Zechariah ben Avkolas said to them: [If the priests do that, people] will say [that] blemished [animals] may be sacrificed [as offerings] on the altar. [The sages said: If we do not sacrifice it, then we must prevent bar Kamtza from reporting this to the emperor. The sages] thought to kill him so that he would not go and speak [against them]. R. Zechariah said to them: [If you kill him, people] will say [that] one who makes a blemish on sacrificial [animals] is to be killed. [As a result, they did nothing, bar Kamtza’s slander was accepted by the authorities, and consequently the war between the Jews and the Romans began.] R. Yoḥanan says: The [excessive] humility of R. Zechariah ben Avkolas destroyed our Temple, burned our sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.