Kamtza, bar Kamtza and causes of destruction

There is a story about a certain man in Jerusalem who made a banquet. He said to his slave: "Go and bring to me my friend, Kamtza. He went and bought him Bar Kamtza his enemy and he came and sat down among the guests. He saw him between his guests and said to him: "You are my enemy and you are sitting in my house! Get up and leave my house!" He replied to him: "Do not shame me and I will return to you the price of the banquet". He said to him: "You are not reclining here". He said to him: "Do not shame me, let me seat and I will not eat or drink". He said to him: "You are not reclining here". He said to him: "Do not shame me and I will return the cost of this entire banquet". He said to him: "Get up and go!" Rabbi Zechariah son of Avkulas was there and he was able to stop it and he did not stop it. He [Bar Kamtza] left from there and said to himself: "They are reclining and feasting in their contentment, I am going to inform against them." What did he do? He went to the magistrate and said to him: "Those sacrifices which you send to the Jews to sacrifice, they eat them and they offer other ones, exchanging them". [The magistrate] rebuked him. He came back and said: "Those sacrifices which you send to the Jews to sacrifice, they eat them and they offer other ones, exchanging them. If you do not trust me, send with me a lieutenant and a sacrifice and you will know that I am not lying". As they were on the way, the lieutenant fell asleep and [Bar Kamtza] got up and secretly made all the animals blemished. When the priest saw them he sacrificed other animals in their place. The representative of the king said: "Why did you not sacrifice those sacrifices"? He said to him: "Tomorrow". The next day came and he did not sacrifice them. He sent and said to the king: "The whole issue of the Jews is certainly true". Immediately he came to the Temple and destroyed it. Because of this there is a baraita that says "Between Kamtza and between Bar Kamtza the Temple was destroyed". Rabbi Jose said: "The extreme humility and unwillingness of Rabbi Zechariah son of Eukolos burned the Temple". ...

Abaye said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because people desecrated the Shabbat in it, as it is stated: “And from My Shabbatot they averted their eyes, and I was profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26).

The Gemara suggests additional reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Abbahu said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because its citizens intentionally omitted recitation of Shema morning and evening, as it is stated: “Woe to those who rise early in the morning and pursue the drink and are aflame from wine until late in the evening” (Isaiah 5:11). And it is written in the continuation of that passage: “And their drinking parties have lyre and lute, drum and flute and wine, and they do not look upon the actions of God, and they do not see His hands’ creations” (Isaiah 5:12). And it is written in that passage: “Therefore My nation is being exiled for its ignorance; its honor will die of hunger and its multitudes will be parched with thirst” (Isaiah 5:13).

Rav Hamnuna said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because schoolchildren there were interrupted from studying Torah, as it is stated: “And I am filled with the wrath of God, I cannot contain it, pour it onto the infants in the street and onto the gathering of youths together, for men and women alike will be captured, the elderly along with those of advanced years” (Jeremiah 6:11). Rav Hamnuna explains: What is the reason that the wrath is poured? It is because infants are outside in the streets and are not studying Torah.

Ulla said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because people had no shame before each other, as it is stated: “They acted shamefully; they have performed abominations, yet they neither were ashamed nor did they know humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen, they will fail at the time that I punish them, said God” (Jeremiah 6:15).

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because its small and the great citizens were equated. They did not properly value the prominent leaders of their generation, as it is stated: “And the common people were like the priest, the slave like his master, the maidservant like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the one indebted to him” (Isaiah 24:2). And it is written afterward: “The land shall be utterly desolate and completely plundered, for God has said this” (Isaiah 24:3).

Rav Amram, son of Rabbi Shimon bar Abba, said that Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because the people did not rebuke one another, as it is stated: “Her ministers were like stags that found no pasture, and they walked without strength before their pursuer” (Lamentations 1:6). Just as this stag turns its head toward the other’s tail when it grazes, and each one feeds on its own, so too, the Jewish people in that generation lowered their faces to the ground and did not rebuke one another.

Rabbi Yehuda said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they disparaged the Torah scholars in it, as it is stated: “And they mocked the messengers of God and disdained His words and taunted His prophets, until the wrath of God arose against His people, until it could not be healed” (II Chronicles 36:16). What is the meaning of: Until it could not be healed? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: It means that anyone who disparages Torah scholars cannot be healed from his wound.