Dr. David Berger, The Problem of Exile in Medieval Jewish-Christian Polemic
A recurring observation in...studies of the Jewish-Christian debate is that the issues in question would have concerned Christians even in the absence of a Jewish challenge. What is the evidence that the Messiah will die to atone for our sins? That God is triune? That He took on flesh in a human being? That He will be born of a virgin? In any serious internal Christian discourse, these and many similar questions would have demanded attention...On the other hand...the sorts of challenges presented to Jews by their Christian interlocutors would not have troubled them or even occupied their attention as they pondered their own texts in an environment that was not suffused by Christian theology and its advocates.
Jewish suffering in a seemingly interminable exile was very different. It pervaded the daily consciousness of medieval Jews and would have required explanation for psychological as well as intellectual reasons even if no Christians had ever raised the question. But raise it they did - repeatedly, insistently, triumphantly, even mockingly. Few issues in medieval religious polemic penetrated the Jewish psyche as deeply and distressingly as this one.
אַתָּה בְּחַרְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אָהַבְתָּ אוֹתָנוּ וְרָצִיתָ בָּנוּ וְרוֹמַמְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת וְקִדַּשְׁתָּנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ וְקֵרַבְתָּנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לַעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ וְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ עָלֵינוּ קָרָאתָ, וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה מועֲדִים לְשמְחָה חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְששון...מִקְרָא קדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם: וּמִפְּנֵי חֲטָאֵינוּ גָּלִינוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ וְנִתְרַחַקְנוּ מֵעַל אַדְמָתֵנוּ וְאֵין אֲנַחְנוּ יְכוֹלִים לַעֲלוֹת וְלֵרָאוֹת וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְפָנֶיךָ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת חוֹבוֹתֵינוּ בְּבֵית בְּחִירָתֶךָ בַּבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁנִּקְרָא שִׁמְךָ עָלָיו, מִפְּנֵי הַיָּד שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלְּחָה בְּמִקְדָּשֶׁךָ...
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן תּוֹרְתָּא: מִפְּנֵי מָה חָרְבָה שִׁילֹה? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהּ שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים: גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וּבִזְיוֹן קֳדָשִׁים...
Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Torta said: Due to what reason was the Tabernacle in Shiloh destroyed in the time of the prophet Samuel? It was destroyed due to the fact that there were two matters that existed in the Tabernacle: Forbidden sexual relations and degradation of consecrated items...
מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן מִפְּנֵי מָה חָרַב? מִפְּנֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים שֶׁהָיוּ בּוֹ: עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים...אֲבָל מִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּתוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹת וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, מִפְּנֵי מָה חָרַב? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה בּוֹ שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁשְּׁקוּלָה שִׂנְאַת חִנָּם כְּנֶגֶד שָׁלֹשׁ עֲבֵירוֹת: עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים...
Due to what reason was the First Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there were three matters that existed in the First Temple: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed...However, considering that the people during the Second Temple period were engaged in Torah study, observance of mitzvot, and acts of kindness, and that they did not perform the sinful acts that were performed in the First Temple, why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there was wanton hatred during that period. This comes to teach you that the sin of wanton hatred is equivalent to the three severe transgressions: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed.
...א"ר יוחנן בן תורתא מפני מה חרבה שילה? מפני בזיון קדשים שבתוכה. ירושלים בנין הראשון מפני מה חרבה? מפני עבודת כוכבים וגלוי עריות ושפיכות דמים שהיו בתוכה. אבל באחרונה מכירין אנו בהן שהן עמלים בתורה וזהירין במעשרות! מפני מה גלו? מפני שאוהבין את הממון ושונאין איש את רעהו ללמדך שקשה שנאת איש את רעהו לפני המקום ושקלה הכתוב כנגד עבודת כוכבים וגלוי עריות ושפיכות דמים...
...R’ Yochanan ben Turta said: why was Shiloh destroyed? Because there they treated holy offerings disgracefully. Why was the first building of Jerusalem destroyed? Because of the idolatry, sexual immorality and spilling of blood that was in its midst. But we know that in the later one (Second Temple period) they labored in Torah and were careful with tithes, so why were they exiled? Because they loved money and each one hated his fellow. This comes to teach you that hating one’s fellow is difficult in God’s eyes, and the Torah considered it equivalent to idolatry, sexual immorality and the spilling of blood...
R' Yochanan ben Turta might be best known for opposing Rabbi Akiva's support for Bar Kochba. See Yerushalmi Taanis 4:5 and Eikhah Rabbah 2:4.
אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁחִלְּלוּ בָּהּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת...
אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁבִּיטְּלוּ קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שַׁחֲרִית וְעַרְבִית...
אָמַר רַב הַמְנוּנָא: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁבִּיטְּלוּ בָּהּ תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן...
אָמַר עוּלָּא: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶם בּוֹשֶׁת פָּנִים זֶה מִזֶּה...
אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁהוּשְׁווּ קָטָן וְגָדוֹל...
אָמַר רַב עַמְרָם בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה...
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁבִּיזּוּ בָּהּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים...
וְאָמַר רָבָא: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁפָּסְקוּ מִמֶּנָּה אַנְשֵׁי אֲמָנָה...
Abaye said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because people desecrated the Shabbat in it...
Rabbi Abbahu said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because its citizens intentionally omitted recitation of Shema morning and evening...
Rav Hamnuna said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because schoolchildren there were interrupted from studying Torah...
Ulla said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because people had no shame before each other...
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because its small and the great citizens were equated...
Rav Amram, son of Rabbi Shimon bar Abba, said that Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because the people did not rebuke one another...
Rabbi Yehuda said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they disparaged the Torah scholars in it...
Rava said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because there were no more trustworthy people there...
...אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא עַל שֶׁדָּנוּ בָּהּ דִּין תּוֹרָה...וְלָא עֲבַדוּ לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין.
...Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Jerusalem was destroyed only for the fact that they adjudicated cases on the basis of Torah law in the city...and did not go beyond the letter of the law.
לא חרבה כו' - ואם תאמר דביומא (דף ט:) אמר "מפני שנאת חנם" וי"ל דהא והא גרמא:
See the Pnei Yehoshua who discusses this Tosfos
...לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא עַל קִלְקוּל הַדִּין...
...Jerusalem was destroyed only over perversion of justice...
Hippolytus (170-235 CE), Expository Treatise Against the Jews Section 7
...why...was the temple made desolate? Was it on account of that ancient fabrication of the calf? Was it on account of the idolatry of the people? Was it for the blood of the prophets? Was it for the adultery and fornication of Israel? By no means...for in all these transgressions they always found pardon open to them...(rather,) it was because they killed the Son of their Benefactor, for He is coeternal with the Father...