In our Gemara on Amud Aleph, we encounter a story that portrays an unusually callous and cruel fate suffered by some of the youth after the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. It is based on the ancient belief that conceiving a child while beholding aesthetically pleasing images would result in beautiful offspring. The noble Romans would have attractive images placed by their bedsides for this purpose. Interestingly, this belief is also present in Jewish tradition, as seen in Ibn Ezra on Bereishis 30:39 and the Iggeres Hakodesh attributed to Ramban (Derech Revi'i). The Jewish children were so attractive that the Romans adopted this practice, tying Jewish children to the foot of their beds and engaging in intercourse in their presence, as they were considered exceptionally handsome.

One of the children involved in this practice asked his companion: "Where is this affliction written in the Torah?" The other replied: "As it is written: 'Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this Torah'" (Deuteronomy 28:61). The first child then contemplated how far he was from studying this verse, implying that had he reached it, he would have understood that it referred to their current situation. After hearing from his friend the correct reference, he replies, “Had I reached this verse, I would not have needed you, as I would have known on my own that the verse was speaking about this."

There are several peculiarities in this story. Firstly, one might wonder why this particular Roman couple needed two children if the belief was about having a beautiful presence during conception. Additionally, the dialogue between the two children appears somewhat strange. What can we make of the final remark: "Had I reached this verse, I would not have needed you, as I would have known on my own that the verse was speaking about this"?

Sadly, I believe this story reflects the corrupt attitude that ultimately led to the destruction of the Temple. These two students, despite being engaged in Torah study and in the midst of studying the prophetic curses that would befall the Jewish people, failed to achieve sufficient repentance to avoid their horrible fate. In fact, they represent the entire Jewish people. We may wonder why their Torah study did not bring them merit. Even more troubling, why did one of them not even manage to reach the verse that described his impending destiny? Moreover, what kind of strange curiosity led him to ponder how his suffering technically fit into the verses he had learned? Unfortunately, the answer lies in their approach to Torah study, which was competitive and intellectual rather than focused on allowing God to penetrate their hearts and bring moral improvement. This is highlighted by the fact that his response involves the concept of studying with a partner, subtly reminding him that others exist as well. However, his final reply demonstrates an ongoing lack of repentance and a competitive attitude until the very end. Instead of expressing gratitude to his friend for sharing the missing verse, he states that if he had studied a little longer, he would not have needed assistance in the first place.

This narrative brings to mind another Gemara that depicts a similar tragic encounter between Eliyahu Hanavi and a starving young child (Sanhedrin 63b-64a). Despite Eliyahu's attempts to teach the child the words of the Shema, the child's faith is so corrupted that he ends up kissing his idol and ultimately perishing.

At times, our beliefs can become so corrupted that even when confronted with overwhelming evidence that we have strayed and must repent, we stubbornly cling to our faulty convictions.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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