Martha and the Siege of Jerusalem

Martha bat Boethus was [one of the] wealthy women of Jerusalem. She sent [out] her agent and said to him, “Go bring me fine flour.” By the time he went, [the fine flour] was [already] sold. He came [and] said to her, “There is no fine flour, [but] there is [ordinary] flour.” She said to him, “Go [then and] bring me [ordinary flour].” By the time he went, [the ordinary flour] was [also] sold. He came and said to her, “There is no [ordinary] flour, [but] there is coarse flour.” She said to him, “Go [then and] bring me [coarse flour].” By the time he went, [the coarse flour] was [already] sold. He came and said to her, “There is no coarse flour, [but] there is barley flour.” She said to him, “Go [then and] bring me [barley flour.” But once again,] by the time he went, [the barley flour] was [also] sold.

She had [just] removed her shoes, [but] she said, “I will go out [myself] and see if I can find something to eat.” [She stepped on some] dung, [which] stuck to her foot, and, [overcome by disgust,] she died.

R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai read concerning her [a verse found in the section of the Torah listing the curses that will befall Israel]: The tender and delicate woman among you who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot [upon the ground] (Deuteronomy 28:56). There are [those] who say [that she did not step on dung, but rather] she ate a fig of R. Tsadok, and became disgusted and died. [What are these figs?] R. Tsadok observed fasts [for] forty years, [praying] that Jerusalem would not be destroyed. [He became so emaciated from fasting] that when he would eat something it was visible from the outside [of his body]. And when he would eat [after a fast] they would bring him figs [and] he would suck out their liquid and cast [the rest] away.

As she was dying, she took out all of [her] gold and silver [and] threw it in the marketplace. She said, “Why do I need this?” And this is as it is written: They shall cast their silver in the streets [and their gold shall be as an impure thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels] (Ezekiel 7:19).