Misplaced Humility and National Tragedy

Rabbi Yochanan said, “The humility of Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulus destroyed our Beit Hamikdash and burned our Heichal and exiled us from our Land”.

This statement concludes the well-known story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish People by the Romans. When Bar Kamtza was ejected from a certain celebration, he sought revenge by telling the Roman Caesar that the Jews were rebelling against him. The Caesar then sent an animal with him to be sacrificed in the Beit Hamikdash, to test their loyalty. But Bar Kamtza intentionally made a blemish in the animal as he took it to Jerusalem. Now, the Sages faced a great dilemma. If they refused to offer the Caesar’s sacrifice and word of their refusal got back to the Caesar, they and the Jewish People were likely to face serious consequences. Many Sages were therefore inclined to either offer the Caesar’s sacrifice or otherwise to kill Bar Kamtza, thereby removing the danger. However, Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulus, “in his humility,” convinced the Sages to neither offer the sacrifice nor to kill Bar Kamtza, a decision that resulted in destruction and exile.

Why does the gemara attribute this decision to his “humility”? Where do we see his humility in this decision? It would seem that the more correct description for the basis of his decision would be his “righteousness” or his “piety.” (Rashi translates “anvatanuto” in the gemara not as “humility” but rather as “patience,” a translation that seems to beg explanation.)

Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulus was an outstanding Torah scholar of his generation and had the authority to declare what would have appeared to be a temporary “overriding” of Torah law for the sake of avoiding a potential danger to the Jewish People. Nevertheless, he was extremely humble, not thinking that he was a great enough Sage to actually carry out either one of the suggested rulings that would have prevented the national tragedy. And, for this “misplaced” humility, our gemara places blame on him for the ensuing disaster of destruction and exile. (Maharitz Chiyut)

Gittin 55b - 56a

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