Caught Between Jewish Mobsters & the Roman Army

Overview

The following epic provides a story of hope for escaping a tough social and political situation and making the most of a bleak future.

Part 1 - Jerusalem is under siege by the Roman Army. But inside the city, a faction of zealous nationalists have taken charge and will not allow any form of peace negotiation.

Part 2 - The leader of the peace faction (Yochanan ben Zakkai) must escape the city and negotiate with the Roman general.

Part 3 - The peace faction must make the most of the impending doom and secure three concessions from the Romans.

Part 1 - The Jerusalem Mobsters

In Jewish tradition, many people are faulted for the tragic fall of the city of Jerusalem. And in one tale, a wealthy patron of the city was said to have supplied enough resources to withstand the Roman siege. But at this point, the zealots and mobsters intervene with violent results....

אבות דרבי נתן ו׳

ולמה נקרא שמו כלבא שבוע שכל הנכנס לביתו רעב ככלב היה יוצא מביתו שבע. וכשבא אספסיינוס קיסר להחריב את ירושלים בקשו קנאים לשרוף כל הטוב ההוא באש. אמר להם כלבא שבוע מפני מה אתם מחריבים את העיר הזאת ואתם מבקשים כל הטוב הזה לשרוף באש. המתינו לי עד שאכנס ואראה מה יש לי בתוך הבית. הלך ומצא שיש לו מזון עשרים ושתים שנה סעודה לכל אחד ואחד מירושלם. מיד צוה גדשו ובררו וטחנו ורקדו ולשו ואפו והתקין מזון כ"ב שנה לכל אחד ואחד מירושלים ולא השגיחו עליו. מה היו אנשי ירושלים עושין היו מביאין העגלים וגוררים אותם במגרים וטוחים אותם בטיט. ועוד עשו אנשי ירושלם שולקין את התבן ואוכלין אותם וכל אחד ואחד מישראל שרוי נגד חומותיה של ירושלים. אמר מי יתן לי חמש תמרים וארד ואטול חמשה ראשים. נתנו לו חמשה תמרים ירד ונטל חמשה ראשים מאנשי אספסיינוס. הציץ אספסיינוס בצואתן וראה שאין בהן מין דגן ואמר לחיילות שלו ומה אלו שאין אוכלין אלא תבן כך הורגין בהן אילו היו אוכלין כל מה שאתם אוכלין ושותין על אחת כמה וכמה שהיו הורגין אתכם:

Avot DeRabbi Natan 6

And why was he called “Kalba Savua”? Because anyone who went into his house as hungry as a dog (kelev) would come out of his house satiated (save’a). And when the emperor Vespasian came to destroy Jerusalem, the Zealots wanted to burn everything good in it to the ground. Kalba Savua said to them: Why do you want to destroy this city and burn everything good in it to the ground? Wait here for me and I will go in my house and show you what I have. He went in and found that he had enough grain to feed everyone in Jerusalem for twenty-two years. He immediately ordered that they pile it up, sift it, grind it, refine it, knead it, bake it, and prepare food for everyone in Jerusalem for twenty-two years. But [the zealots] would not listen to him. So what did the people of Jerusalem do? They brought calves and dragged them into pens, and then would grind them up in the mud. The people of Jerusalem would also boil straw and eat it. Those who were positioned on the walls of Jerusalem would say: If someone will give me five dates, I will go down and take five heads from Vespasian’s men. Vespasian examined their excrement and saw that there was no grain in it and said to his soldiers: These people who are eating nothing but straw are still killing you! If they could eat and drink all that you do, imagine how many more of you they would have killed!

Part 2 - Escape from the Jewish Mob

One the mob leaders has a series of secret communications with his uncle, the leader of the peace faction. Together they hatch a plot to escape from the doomed city....

גיטין נ״ו א:ט״ו-י״ז

אַבָּא סִקְרָא רֵישׁ בִּרְיוֹנֵי דִּירוּשָׁלַיִם בַּר אֲחָתֵיהּ דְּרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי הֲוָה שְׁלַח לֵיהּ תָּא בְּצִינְעָא לְגַבַּאי אֲתָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ עַד אֵימַת עָבְדִיתוּ הָכִי וְקָטְלִיתוּ לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא בְּכַפְנָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאי אֶיעֱבֵיד דְּאִי אָמֵינָא לְהוּ מִידֵּי קָטְלוּ לִי אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲזִי לִי תַּקַּנְתָּא לְדִידִי דְּאֶיפּוֹק אֶפְשָׁר דְּהָוֵי הַצָּלָה פּוּרְתָּא אֲמַר לֵיהּ נְקוֹט נַפְשָׁךְ בִּקְצִירֵי וְלֵיתוֹ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא וְלִישַׁיְּילוּ בָּךְ וְאַיְיתִי מִידֵּי סַרְיָא וְאַגְנִי גַּבָּךְ וְלֵימְרוּ דְּנָח נַפְשָׁךְ וְלִיעַיְּילוּ בָּךְ תַּלְמִידָךְ וְלָא לֵיעוּל בָּךְ אִינִישׁ אַחֲרִינָא דְּלָא לַרְגְּשׁוּן בָּךְ דְּקַלִּיל אַתְּ דְּאִינְהוּ יָדְעִי דְּחַיָּיא קַלִּיל מִמִּיתָא עָבֵיד הָכִי נִכְנַס בּוֹ רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מִצַּד אֶחָד וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מִצַּד אַחֵר כִּי מְטוֹ לְפִיתְחָא בְּעוֹ לְמִדְקְרֵיהּ אֲמַר לְהוּ יֹאמְרוּ רַבָּן דָּקְרוּ בְּעוֹ לְמִדְחֲפֵיהּ אֲמַר לְהוּ יֹאמְרוּ רַבָּן דָּחֲפוּ פְּתַחוּ לֵיהּ בָּבָא נְפַק

Gittin 56a:15-17

§ The Gemara relates: Abba Sikkara was the leader of the zealots [biryonei] of Jerusalem and the son of the sister of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai sent a message to him: Come to me in secret. He came, and Rabban 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. Rabban 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 not notice that you are still light. As the zealots know that a living person is lighter than a dead person. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai did this. Rabbi Eliezer entered from one side and Rabbi Yehoshua 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 in order 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.

Part 3 - The Three Wishes

The text below sets up the meeting between Yochanan ben Zakkai and General Vespasian which results in the granting of three wishes....

If we were to assess the three requests in terms of a political strategy, we might view:

The first request relating to the establishment of a sanctuary city as the new Jewish capital and seat of Jewish legistlation (Yavneh and the sages)
The second request relates to the survival of a 'government in exile' (the Gamliel family patriarchs)
In place of a High Priest, a new figurehead of a pious saint is secured (through the healing of Tzadok)

גיטין נ״ו א:י״ח

כִּי מְטָא לְהָתָם אֲמַר שְׁלָמָא עֲלָךְ מַלְכָּא שְׁלָמָא עֲלָךְ מַלְכָּא אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִיחַיְּיבַתְּ תְּרֵי (קְטָלָא) [קָטְלִי] חֲדָא דְּלָאו מַלְכָּא אֲנָא וְקָא קָרֵית לִי מַלְכָּא וְתוּ אִי מַלְכָּא אֲנָא עַד הָאִידָּנָא אַמַּאי לָא אָתֵית לְגַבַּאי אֲמַר לֵיהּ דְּקָאָמְרַתְּ לָאו מַלְכָּא אֲנָא

Gittin 56a:18

When Rabban 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? Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to him: As for what you said about yourself: I am not a king,

גיטין נ״ו ב:א׳-ז׳

אִיבְרָא מַלְכָּא אַתְּ דְּאִי לָאו מַלְכָּא אַתְּ לָא מִימַּסְרָא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בִּידָךְ דִּכְתִיב וְהַלְּבָנוֹן בְּאַדִּיר יִפּוֹל וְאֵין אַדִּיר אֶלָּא מֶלֶךְ דִּכְתִיב וְהָיָה אַדִּירוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ וְגוֹ׳ וְאֵין לְבָנוֹן אֶלָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנוֹן וּדְקָאָמְרַתְּ אִי מַלְכָּא אֲנָא אַמַּאי לָא קָאָתֵית לְגַבַּאי עַד הָאִידָּנָא בִּרְיוֹנֵי דְּאִית בַּן לָא שָׁבְקִינַן אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִילּוּ חָבִית שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ וּדְרָקוֹן כָּרוּךְ עָלֶיהָ לֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹבְרִין אֶת הֶחָבִית בִּשְׁבִיל דְּרָקוֹן אִישְׁתִּיק קָרֵי עֲלֵיהּ רַב יוֹסֵף וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מֵשִׁיב חֲכָמִים אָחוֹר וְדַעְתָּם יְסַכֵּל אִיבְּעִי לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר לֵיהּ שָׁקְלִינַן צְבָתָא וְשָׁקְלִינַן לֵיהּ לִדְרָקוֹן וְקָטְלִינַן לֵיהּ וְחָבִיתָא שָׁבְקִינַן לַהּ אַדְּהָכִי אֲתָא פְּרֵיסְתְּקָא עֲלֵיהּ מֵרוֹמִי אֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּם דְּמִית לֵיהּ קֵיסָר וְאָמְרִי הָנְהוּ חֲשִׁיבֵי דְּרוֹמִי לְאוֹתֹיבָךָ בְּרֵישָׁא הֲוָה סָיֵים חַד (מסאני) [מְסָאנֵיהּ] בְּעָא לְמִסְיְימֵהּ לְאַחֲרִינָא לָא עָיֵיל בְּעָא לְמִישְׁלְפֵיהּ לְאִידַּךְ לָא נְפַק אֲמַר מַאי הַאי אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא תִּצְטַעַר שְׁמוּעָה טוֹבָה אַתְיָא לָךְ דִּכְתִיב שְׁמוּעָה טוֹבָה תְּדַשֶּׁן עָצֶם אֶלָּא מַאי תַּקַּנְתֵּיהּ לֵיתֵי אִינִישׁ דְּלָא מְיַתְּבָא דַּעְתָּךְ מִינֵּיהּ וְלַחֲלֹיף קַמָּךְ דִּכְתִיב וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה תְּיַבֶּשׁ גָּרֶם עֲבַד הָכִי עֲיַיל אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמֵאַחַר דְּחָכְמִיתוּ כּוּלֵּי הַאי עַד הָאִידָּנָא אַמַּאי לָא אָתֵיתוּ לְגַבַּאי אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָא אֲמַרִי לָךְ אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא נָמֵי אֲמַרִי לָךְ אֲמַר לֵיהּ מֵיזָל אָזֵילְנָא וְאִינָשׁ אַחֲרִינָא מְשַׁדַּרְנָא אֶלָּא בָּעֵי מִינַּאי מִידֵּי דְּאֶתֵּן לָךְ אֲמַר לֵיהּ תֵּן לִי יַבְנֶה וַחֲכָמֶיהָ וְשׁוּשִׁילְתָּא דְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וְאָסְווֹתָא דְּמַסַּיִין לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי צָדוֹק קָרֵי עֲלֵיהּ רַב יוֹסֵף וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מֵשִׁיב חֲכָמִים אָחוֹר וְדַעְתָּם יְסַכֵּל אִיבְּעִי לְמֵימַר לֵיהּ לִשְׁבְּקִינְהוּ הָדָא זִימְנָא וְהוּא סָבַר דִּלְמָא כּוּלֵּי הַאי לָא עָבֵיד וְהַצָּלָה פּוּרְתָּא נָמֵי לָא הָוֵי אָסְווֹתָא דְּמַסַּיִין לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי צָדוֹק מַאי הִיא יוֹמָא קַמָּא אַשְׁקְיוּהּ מַיָּא דְפָארֵי לִמְחַר מַיָּא דְסִיפּוּקָא לִמְחַר מַיָּא דְקִימְחָא עַד דִּרְוַוח מְיעֵיהּ פּוּרְתָּא פּוּרְתָּא

Gittin 56b:1-7

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 Rabban 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 [derakon] 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. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai was silent and did not answer. In light of this, Rav Yosef later read the following verse about him, and some say that it was Rabbi Akiva who applied the verse to Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: “I am the Lord…Who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish” (Isaiah 44:25). As Rabban 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 [feristaka] 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? Rabban 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? Rabban 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? Rabban 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 Rabban 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. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to him: Give me Yavne and its Sages and do not destroy it, and spare the dynasty of Rabban Gamliel and do not kill them as if they were rebels, and lastly give me doctors to heal Rabbi Tzadok. Rav Yosef read the following verse about him, and some say that it was Rabbi Akiva who applied the verse to Rabban 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 Rabban 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. The Gemara asks: What was he requesting when he asked for doctors to heal Rabbi Tzadok? How did they heal him? The first day they gave him water to drink that contained bran [parei]. The next day they gave him water containing flour mixed with bran [sipuka]. The following day they gave him water containing flour. In this way they slowly restored his ability to eat, allowing his stomach to broaden little by little.

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