예레미야 8:2의 차시두트

And that is the idea of Tu b'Av at this time. As in the Mishnah (Ta'anit 4:8), it is only found, "There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av, etc.," which is only during the time of the Temple. And likewise, everything that is stated, "the daughters of Jerusalem would go out, etc., was at the time of the Temple, and it is as it is stated in the Gemara, "the daughter of the king, etc." However, they said six reasons [for it] in the Gemara, although five of the reasons were only at the time of the Temple, there is one reason — that it was the day that those killed in Beitar were permitted to be buried — that was after the destruction [of the Temple]. And Beitar was the kindgom of Ben Koziva. As it is found (Gittin 55b:16), "Jerusalem was destroyed on account of Kamtza and bar Kamtza. The King’s Mountain was destroyed on account of a rooster and a hen. Beitar was destroyed on account of a shaft from a chariot." And the idea of these three destructions is that they correspond to the three bad traits, jealousy, lust, and [the pursuit of] honor, which are the roots of the three [cardinal] sins, idolatry, sexual immorality and the spilling of blood. And that is [the meaning of], "Jerusalem was destroyed on account of Kamtza and bar Kamtza." Meaning, for the sin of baseless hatred, which is the trait of jealousy, and the spilling of blood, which is the husk of Esau — killing. And because of that, the destruction of the Second Temple was through Edom. For whenever there is an accusation against the Jewish people for a certain trait, the nation that has a husk like that trait will then rule over them. For they [then] have a claim that there is something similar to their trait also in the Jewish people. And the destruction of the Second Temple was because of senseless hatred, as they have said (Yoma 9b). "The King’s Mountain was destroyed on account of a rooster and a hen," was through the trait of lust. For it is found there in the Gemara (Gittin 57a:11) that there was wonderous propagation [there]: Six hundred thousand cities and each of them had a population as great as the number of those who left Egypt, except for three of those cities, the population of which was double the number of those who left Egypt. And at first, the intention of this was for the sake of the Heavens. So they would take out a rooster and a hen, as if to say, "Be fruitful and multiply like chickens." For the propagation of the species is [noticeable] with them. For we find [the related comparison] (Berakhot 22a), "that Torah scholars, etc. should not be like roosters." And their intention with this was for the sake of the Heavens, to be fruitful and multiply, etc. But afterward, there was an accusation against them that it [had become] only for the sake of lust. And that is why it was destroyed. And "Beitar was destroyed on account of a shaft from a chariot." That was from the trait of pride and honor, as it is said that when a baby was born, they would plant a cedar. And that indicates pride and honor, as they said (Midrash Tachuma, Chukat 6:1), "Because he raised himself up like a cedar, he was struck with tzara'at, etc." And it is found in the Gemara (Shabbat 139a:7), "If the arrogant will cease, the Persian fire priests will cease, as it is written: And I will purge away your dross [sigayikh] as with lye." And Rashi explains, "Sigayikh are the arrogant ones. It is an expression [like], 'very haughty [yisga].'" It is true that we find in the verse, The righteous shall flourish [yisgeh] like a date-palm (Psalms 92:13). Yet there is good pride as well, as it is stated about Jehoshaphat: His heart was elevated in the ways of the Lord (II Chronicles 17:6). [Still,] it corresponds to the husk of Amalek, which sends sadness and coldness to people, as it is written: Who appeared [karcha] to you on the way (Deuteronomy 25:18). And they expounded [relating to kar, which means cold], "he cooled you down and made you lukewarm." And it is found (in Temurah 16a), "That it may not pain me [aatzvi] (I Chronicles 4:10) — that the evil inclination should not grow stronger and prevent me from studying Torah." And he called it aatzvi [which can also mean my sadness] since the evil inclination sends sadness and lowliness to a person by its seductions that his learning is not considered anything. And that is why there is a need for pride, that he knows that through his Torah [study] and his service, strength is, as it were, added to the celestial retinue. For it is stated: Give might to God (Psalms 68:35). And, God forbid, likewise is it, as it were, the opposite. For it is written, The Rock of your birth you weakened (Deuteronomy 32:18). And that is the pride that is for the sake of the Heavens, as it stated: His heart was elevated in the ways of the Lord. And also in Beitar was this for the sake of the Heavens, to use pride for service to God, may He be blessed. But afterward, when there was an accusation that they took pride for matters of this world, like the nations of the world, the cedar was cut down. And this is [the meaning of, with] a shaft from a chariot, which is the pride of the nations of the world with a chariot and greatness, was Beitar destroyed. But the day that they allowed those killed in Beitar to be buried indicates a rectification of this corruption. For it is found (in Sanhedrin 46b), "Burial is on account of disgrace." And likewise did we find it in Scripture: they shall not be gathered for burial; they shall become dung upon the face of the earth (Jeremiah 8:2), which is a disgrace. And when they were allowed to be buried, that is when it became possible to rectify this corruption. And they saw this through the miracle, which was that they did not rot with the passages of time, since they were flung [on the field] without burial. And it is about this that they ordained the blessing of the Good, and the One who does good. And that is like that which they said (Pesachim 50a), "In the world to come, it will allways be [appropriate to say] the Good and the One who does good. For they will then see that it was all for the good. And so did they see there, from that which they did not rot, which is by way of a miracle, that God, may He be blessed, did not want to disgrace them. However, it was in order to rectify what they distorted with the trait of pride. So they were allowed to be buried afterward. And that is why they ordained this blessing in the grace after the meal: since pride comes from overeating, as it is stated: Lest you eat and be sated, etc. And your heart be lifted, etc. (Deuteronomy 8:12-14).