On Tisha Bav we will read about the dramatic moment when Titus the Roman general entered the Holy Temple and proceeded to blaspheme in word and in deed that most holy of places. In Kinna 16 Rabbi Elazar Hakalir recounts how the evil Titus used his bloody sword to tear into shreds the remarkable curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. This curtain had different images on each side an incredible artistic accomplishment, but Titus in his rage destroyed it instead of saving it for his collection. After his horrid act was complete Titus cried out in victory "Their God may have conquered Egypt and other powers, but now He has been conquered by me!"
In that moment the ancient poet vividly illustrates the contrast between the evil Roman general, and the Holy Temple he so brazenly destroyed. To the Romans conquest was the ultimate goal. while many Roman Ceasers came to power preaching lofty ideals, ultimately their idealism was sacrificed for the sake of power. Holding power over others is an appealing drive, and without anything governing the ambition of a ruler, values get tossed aside in pursuit of greater power over others. But in the Holy Temple this style of leadership could not work. The High Priest would perform the ritual each year where he would confess his sins in front of the entire nation, he would then enter the Holy of Holies and would not emerge alive unless he had truly repented.
But in the time preceding the destruction of the Temple the Jewish people sank into factionalism. Even while Jews in the city of Jerusalem were starving to death, different groups competed with each other for power and ignore or even advanced the suffering of those in other groups. No doubt this was done with righteous indignation, those who led this awful campaign believed that they were fighting for a cause and advancing purity. But there is no place for factionalism in Judaism. Factionalism leads to compromising your values in pursuit of victory over, or worse defeat of others. Even in war there are laws that dictate how the Jewish nation must fight with morality. The Jewish laws of war are intolerant of any compromise in the standards of the fighters no matter who the opponent is. Once Jewish people engaged in functionalist thinking, once they started to treat each other with contempt, they became vulnerable to Roman conquest.
In our lives we must be vigilant for these kinds of impulses. Are we competing with others in a friendly way, or are we allowing ourselves to be driven by jealousy? When we have the opportunity to we pull others up with us, or do we try to remain just a few points ahead in the relationship? Can we tolerate others' success even when it means that they have surpassed us? We can't be threatened when others accomplish because if we do we will get sucked into just the kind of factionalism that will destroy us. How do we look at those who are different from us, are they subject to our conquest, or are we able to try and see things from a different perspective? These are the questions we should all ask to help bring the third Temple to fruition, and allow us to truly connect once again with each other and with Hashem.
Happy Connecting!
Menachem