Pregnant Emptiness- לא דבר ריק היא

§ Vespasian went back to Rome and sent Titus in his place. The Gemara cites a verse that was expounded as referring to Titus: “And he shall say: Where is their God, their rock in whom they trusted?” (Deuteronomy 32:37). This is the wicked Titus, who insulted and blasphemed God on High.

What did Titus do when he conquered the Temple? He took a prostitute with his hand, and entered the Holy of Holies with her. He then spread out a Torah scroll underneath him and committed a sin, i.e., engaged in sexual intercourse, on it. Afterward he took a sword and cut into the curtain separating between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. And a miracle was performed and blood spurted forth. Seeing the blood, he mistakenly thought that he had killed himself. Here, the term himself is a euphemism for God. Titus saw blood issuing forth from the curtain in God’s meeting place, the Temple, and he took it as a sign that he had succeeded in killing God Himself. As it is stated: “Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; they have set up their own signs for signs” (Psalms 74:4).

(47) For this is not a empty thing for you: it is your very life; through it you shall long endure on the land that you are to possess upon crossing the Jordan.

(24) and took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

(17) Shimon, his son, says, "All my days I grew up among the Sages, and I did not find anything better for the body except silence. And the exposition [of Torah] is not what is essential, but the action. And whoever increases words brings sin."

(1) Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the LORD alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. (2) And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the LORD. (3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent.

(2) R. Simeon the son of Gamliel declared: I was reared among the sages, and I discovered that there was nothing more beneficial for a person than silence.⁷Pirkei Avot 1:17. Rachel forced herself to remain silent, and her offspring continued the tradition of silence. She saw her gifts in her sister’s hand and remained silent. Her son Benjamin, whose stone in the high priest’s breastplate was a jasper, knew of the sale of Joseph and remained silent. The word jasper (yashfeh) may be read as “he has a mouth” (yesh peh) but nevertheless remains silent. Saul was descended from her: But concerning the matter of the kingdom, he told him not (I Sam. 10:16). Regarding Esther (another descendant) it is said: Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred (Est. 2:10).

(11) “Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before YHVH.” And YHWH passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of YHWH; but YHWH was not in the wind. After the wind—an earthquake; but YHWH was not in the earthquake. (12) After the earthquake—fire; but YHWH was not in the fire. And after the fire—there was a still small voice.

But whence is wisdom [i.e., Torah] brought forth? And where is the place of understanding?

(1) How was the Torah written? It was written with letters of black fire on a surface of white fire.

Our Father, our King! please do not turn us away empty from You.