The 17th of Tamuz is the beginning of the three weeks that we mourn the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem. The rabbis point out that both the first and second Temples were destroyed because people did not treat each other with respect.
Now for a quick Devar Torah.
Today is the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the beginning of the Three Weeks, the period of mourning that culminates with Tisha B’Av and the destruction of the Temple.
One of the important things to remember is that, according to the rabbis, the Temple was not destroyed because the Jewish people failed in their religious observance. The service in the Temple was carried out properly. The priests performed their duties, the sacrifices were offered, and the rituals were observed with great care.
The problem was not inside the Temple—it was outside the Temple. It was the society that surrounded it.
The Torah teaches that being religious is much more than saying the right prayers in synagogue, wearing tefillin correctly, or observing every ritual meticulously. Those things matter, but they are only part of what God expects. We are also expected to build a just and compassionate society. We are commanded to care for the poor, help those in need, and, above all, treat one another with dignity and respect.
The rabbis tell us that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam—baseless hatred. The classic illustration is the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza.
A wealthy man planned a great banquet. He intended to invite his friend Kamtza, but because of a servant’s mistake, the invitation went to Bar Kamtza, a man the host deeply disliked. Thinking this was an attempt at reconciliation, Bar Kamtza happily attended.
When the host saw him, he demanded that he leave immediately.
Bar Kamtza pleaded, “Please don’t embarrass me. Let me stay and I’ll pay for half the banquet.”
The answer was no.
“I’ll pay for the entire banquet.”
Still no.
He was publicly humiliated and thrown out.
What hurt him even more was that many of the leading rabbis and respected members of the community were present. They witnessed the humiliation, yet no one stood up to stop it.
Bar Kamtza left angry and eventually informed the Romans how they could provoke a rebellion that led to the destruction of Jerusalem.
The rabbis’ point is striking. The Temple was not destroyed because the priests failed in their service. It was destroyed because people stood silently while another Jew was publicly humiliated.
That doesn’t mean wrongdoing should never be confronted. Evil must be opposed, and justice must be upheld. But there is a world of difference between standing against wrongdoing and humiliating another person over trivial matters—how they dress, whether they pronounce every word correctly, or whether they need help financially.
A holy society is measured not only by how it worships God, but by how it treats God’s children.
As we begin the Three Weeks, perhaps that’s the message we should carry with us. If we want to remember why the Temple was lost, we should remember that holiness is not confined to the synagogue or the Temple. It is found in the way we treat one another every single day.
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