From Jerusalem to Yavneh: The Founding Myth of Talmudic Judaism

When Vespasian Ceaser came to destroy Jerusalem he said to the Jerusalmites:

“Fools, why do you seek to destroy this city and why do you seek to burn down the Temple? For what do I ask of you, but that you send me one bow or one arrow and I will leave you.”

They said to him: “Just as we went out against the first two who were before you and killed them, so, too, we will go out before you and kill you.”

When Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai heard this, he sent for the men of Jerusalem and said to them:

“My sons, why are you destroying this city, and why do you want to burn down the Temple? For what does he ask of you? Behold, he asks for nothing more than one bow or one arrow, and he will leave you alone.”

They said to him: Just as we went out against the two before him and killed them, so, too, we will go out before him and kill him.”

Vespasian had men stationed near the walls of Jerusalem

and everything that they heard they would write on an arrow and send it over the walls.

They wrote on an arrow and shot over the walls saying:

“Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai is one of the admirers of Caesar, and he says so to the people of Jerusalem.

And after Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai said it one day, and a second, and a third, and they did not accept it from him,

he sent for his students Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua.

He said to them: “My sons, stand and take me out of here. Make me a coffin and I will sleep in it.”

Rabbi Eliezer held him at the feet and Rabbi Yehoshua held him at the head

and they walked around with him until sundown, until they got to the gates of Jerusalem.

The gatekeepers said to them: “Who is this?”

They said to them: “It is a corpse, and don’t you know that it is forbidden to leave a corpse in Jerusalem overnight?”

They said to them: “If he is dead, take him [out of the city].”

And they took him out and they carried him until they got to Vespasian.

They opened the coffin and he stood before him.

He [Vespasian] said to him: “You are Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai! What can I give you?”

He said to him: “I request nothing other than Yavneh and her wise men, and the lineage of Rabban Gamliel.

I will go and teach my students there, and establish a House of Prayer and do there all the commandments.

He said to him: "Go and do everything that you wish."

The Gemara comments: This interpretation that Rav Mattana said leans to, i.e., is consonant with, the exposition of RabbiYehoshua ben Levi. As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why are the Sages of those generations called the members of the Great Assembly? It is because they returned the crown of the Holy One, Blessed be He, to its former glory. How so? Moses came and said in his prayer: “The great, the mighty, and the awesomeGod” (Deuteronomy 10:17). Jeremiah the prophet came and said: Gentiles, i.e., the minions of Nebuchadnezzar, are carousing in His sanctuary; where is His awesomeness? Therefore, he did not say awesome in his prayer: “The great God, the mighty Lord of Hosts, is His name” (Jeremiah 32:18). Daniel came and said: Gentiles are enslaving His children; where is His might? Therefore he did not say mighty in his prayer: “The great and awesome God” (Daniel 9:4). The members of the Great Assembly came and said: On the contrary, this is the might of His might, i.e., this is the fullest expression of it, that He conquers His inclination in that He exercises patience toward the wicked. God’s anger is flared by the gentile nations’ enslavement of His people, yet He expresses tremendous might by suppressing His anger and holding back from punishing them immediately. Therefore, it is still appropriate to refer to God as mighty. And these acts also express His awesomeness: Were it not for the awesomeness of the Holy One, Blessed be He, how could one people, i.e., the Jewish people, who are alone and hated by the gentile nations, survive among the nations? The Gemara asks: And the Rabbis, i.e., Jeremiah and Daniel, how could they do this and uproot an ordinance instituted by Moses, the greatest teacher, who instituted the mention of these attributes in prayer? Rabbi Elazar said: They did so because they knew of the Holy One Blessed be He, that He is truthful and hates a lie. Consequently, they did not speak falsely about Him. Since they did not perceive His attributes of might and awesomeness, they did not refer to them; therefore, they cannot be criticized for doing so.

Noah walked with God” - R. Judah said: This may be compared to a king who had two sons, one grown up and the other a child. To the child he said, ‘Walk with me,’ but to the adult, ‘Walk before me.’

Similarly, to Abraham, whose strength was great, He said: ' Walk thou before Me’ (Gen. 17:1); Of Noah, whose strength was feeble it says, “Noah walked with God”.

R.Nehemiah said: He might be compared to a king's friend who was plunging about in dark alleys, and when the king looked out and saw him sinking, he said to him, ‘Instead of plunging about in dark alleys, come and walk with me.’ But Abraham's case is rather to be compared to that of a king who was sinking in dark alleys, and when his friend saw him he shone a light for him through the window. Said he to him, ‘Instead of lighting me through the window, come and show a light before me.’ ​​​​​​​

A As long as the Temple stood, the altar atoned for Israel’s transgressions. Now that it is destroyed, a person’s table atones for his transgressions.