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Yoma 9b

יומא ט׳ ע״ב

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Topic

Why שילה and both Temples were destroyed, from the three cardinal sins to שנאת חנם, and the comparison between the First and Second Temple generations.

Overview

This amud continues a ברייתא about the sins that destroyed the holy places. It finishes the two sins of בני עלי at שילה: delaying the women's offerings, which the פסוק counts as גילוי עריות, and בזיון קדשים. It then says the מקדש ראשון fell because of עבודה זרה, גילוי עריות and שפיכות דמים, and proves each sin from a פסוק. The מקדש שני, whose people learned Torah and did kindness, fell because of שנאת חנם. This teaches that שנאת חנם is as severe as all three of those sins. The גמרא asks whether there was also hatred in the First Temple era and answers that it was found only among the leaders. רבי יוחנן, רבי אלעזר and ריש לקיש then debate which generation was greater, and the restored Temple is brought as proof that the earlier one was. Finally, ריש לקיש blames the Babylonian Jews for not all returning with עזרא, which left the Second Temple with only a בת קול. רבי יוחנן answers that the שכינה would not have rested there anyway, citing 'יַפְתְּ אֱלֹהִים לְיֶפֶת', and the explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

שֶׁשִּׁהוּ אֶת קִינֵּיהֶן,

that they delayed their bird-offerings,

מִיהָא מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶן הַכָּתוּב

nevertheless, the verse ascribes to them

כְּאִילּוּ שְׁכָבוּם.

as if they lay with them.

בִּזְיוֹן קֳדָשִׁים, דִּכְתִיב:

Degradation of consecrated items, as it is written:

The steps (37)

  1. StatementDelaying the offerings counts as if they sinned with the women
  2. ProofProof that בני עלי disgraced the sacrifices
  3. StatementThe three sins that destroyed the First Temple
  4. ProofVerse proving idol worship in the First Temple
  5. QuestionWhat does 'the bed is too short' mean?
  6. Responseרבי יונתן: one bed cannot hold two rulers
  7. Responseרבי יונתן weeps over the second half of the verse
  8. ProofProof for forbidden relations from the daughters of Zion
  9. StatementExplaining the immodest behavior phrase by phrase
  10. Statementרבי יצחק on the perfume in their shoes
  11. ProofProof for bloodshed from King מנשה
  12. QuestionWhy was the Second Temple destroyed?
  13. ResponseBecause of baseless hatred
  14. ConclusionBaseless hatred equals the three cardinal sins
  15. StatementThey were wicked but still trusted in ה׳
  16. ProofThis refers to the First Temple, as the verse in Micah shows
  17. ConclusionThree decrees to match the three sins
  18. ChallengeWas there really no baseless hatred in the First Temple era?
  19. ResolutionThat hatred was only among the leaders
  20. ProofA ברייתא confirms it was only the leaders
  21. StatementOpen sin gave a known end; hidden sin left the end unknown
  22. StatementThe earlier generations were far greater
  23. Challengeריש לקיש says the later generations were better
  24. ProofThe Temple proves the earlier ones were greater
  25. Questionרבי אלעזר is asked the same question
  26. ResponseLook at the Temple
  27. Statementריש לקיש tells רבה בר בר חנה: I hate you Babylonians
  28. ProofA wall would have been silver, but doors are cedar
  29. QuestionWhat rot attacks cedar?
  30. Responseעולא: it is the ססמגור worm
  31. QuestionWhat does the ססמגור stand for?
  32. Responseרבי אבא: only a בת קול remained
  33. ProofAfter the last prophets, only a Divine Voice was left
  34. ChallengeWould ריש לקיש really talk with רבה בר בר חנה?
  35. Resolutionרב פפא: Swap one of the people in the story
  36. Rejectionרבי יוחנן: That is not the real reason
  37. Proofרבי יוחנן's source: God beautifies יפת but dwells in the tents of שם