The tragedy of the destruction of the Second Temple so often is illustrated with the Midrashic anecdote of Kamsa and Bar Kamsa. As the story goes, a wealthy man sends out invitations for an upcoming party. Mistakenly, an invitation is sent to the wealthy man’s nemesis, Bar Kamsa, instead of his friend, Kamsa. When Bar Kamsa arrives at the party, he is humiliated and forcibly removed by the wealthy host. This Talmudic record is used to illustrate the baseless hatred which inevitably brought on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple.
It paints a picture perfect for educating our children. This sort of messaging is great for a simple lesson on loving one another, yet we forget the other part of the story. As Bar Kamsa is humiliated and embarrassed, everyone at the party stands by and lets it happen. Don’t forget, this was a wealthy man’s party, undoubtedly there were numerous rabbis and Jewish leaders in attendance. When Bar Kamsa sees that even the leaders of the community would not advocate on his behalf, he spitefully goes to the Roman Caesar with lies about a Jewish revolt. This incident was the starting point for the destruction of Jerusalem.
It is known that the Second Temple’s destruction was caused by internal Jewish conflict. At the time, the Jewish world was plagued with intense political division and subsequent severe hostility within the community. However, what ultimately led to the end of the Temple period and what sent the Jews into exile, was the grim lack of Jewish leadership. The dissension within the Jewish nation was so tragic because the Jewish leaders of the time stood by and did nothing.
We must learn from our own history. Leaders of the Jewish community, rabbis and political figures alike, must put an end to the brutality taking place at the Western Wall. This is of absolute urgency. The only way we will continue to thrive as a nation is if our leaders step up to the plate and demand that all violence at the Western Wall will be treated as a punishable offense.