Midbar Yehudah (The Wilderness of Judah)

On the Situation of the Nation (For the Sabbath after Tishah be-Av)

We must consider these three things: what great good we had in the past, the great distress and iniquity which we are in today, and the universal happiness, goodness, and blessing that will return in the future. The memory of these three things guides us to the place of our desire. For we are saddened by the past, the present brings us sorrow, and for the future we will wait and be hopeful. And in order to know what justifies our saying “good” and “bad” concerning the situation of a people and a nation, we will start by saying that the merit and the greatness of one nation, as well as its goodness, will be examined according to three things: the quantity and health of the people, their quality—that they are people of character, wisdom, and bravery—and the disposition of their territory—that it has good air, vineyards, and rivers, and other such things.

Indeed, did not the Roman Empire, which in its time, in days of yore, was successful and vanquished all other kingdoms, place an emphasis on the acquisition of these three things? For in order to increase the quantity of the people, for a long time, it was forbidden by them for someone with no children to come to council [i.e., to be a senator]. Among their stories, it is recounted that at one time, they had at war twenty-two encampments of two hundred thousand foot soldiers, one hundred thousand cavalrymen, and three hundred elephants in each one [of the encampments]; this is aside from soldiers in the rear and the rest of the people.

In order to ensure their quality, it was customary to erect monuments and palaces for anyone who was wise or skilled or of exceptional bravery, until in their stupidity they would even call them “gods” and worship them and put their faith in them, that which is not the custom to do now.

And with regard to all the disposition of their territory, it is enough to clarify what they did from that which our sages of blessed memory said, that in the future, the gentile nations will say to the Holy One [b. Avodah Zarah 2b], “We have set up many marketplaces, many bridges, many bath houses, we have increased our silver and gold.”

And behold, when the community of the group of Israel would act according to the will of God, the blessing of the Lord would be upon them in regard to all these factors. For in quantity, the sons of Israel were fruitful and swarmed, and now the Lord has turned them around in His anger, for we are few but appear to be many, to the point that five Jews together gives an impression greater than ten people of another people. And as Ezekiel prophesied: And I will scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the lands (Ezekiel 29:12). That is to say, they will not only be scattered among the various countries, but that few will also be dispersed in an individual city and land, and it is the nature of things that something which is not collected together appears greater in number.

In regard to quality, it is known that in their upholding of the Torah of the Lord, it was said about them: Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people (Deuteronomy 4:6). This was only the case because they had that which King Solomon, son of David, the wisest of all men, possessed, and his wisdom adhered to them and remained with them for many generations. And in Midrash Lamentations Rabbah [1:4], it is said: “Great among the nations (Lamentations 1:1)—this is greatness in knowledge. Rav Huna said: In every place where someone from Jerusalem would go, they would offer him a seat [to sit on] in order to hear his wisdom.” And as is mentioned there, commoners from Jerusalem would perform several acts of wisdom on par with the wise men of Athens, which at that time was the source of human wisdom. This was the state of affairs until the end of the period of the Second Temple, as can be seen from some of the principles that the seventy-two elders told to Ptolemy when they transcribed the Torah, which were very wondrous. Likewise, regarding Jeremiah’s warning to them, he shows that they were wise in physics and metaphysics [lit. natural and divine wisdom], but that they did not want to engage in metaphysics in order not to have to admit their transgressions: Lo, they have rejected the wisdom of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them? (Jeremiah 8:9) And what wisdom signifies physics, which investigates “what” is this and “what” is that. And now, at this present time, our transgressions have increased and both of these sciences have ceased to be in our hands. After the Torah was abandoned by us, also physics we did not know.

In regard to the dispositions that we had in ancient times in our land, it is known that there the Lord commanded blessing. Who can remember this and not shed a tear? As in the words of our rabbis in b. Ketubbot [112a], may their memories be for a blessing: “A field requiring one se’ah of seed in the land of Judah would produce five se’ah.” And an incident is related involving a man who sent to his father-in-law’s house new wine and new flax and new oil at the conclusion of Shavuot [see b. Bava Batra 146a]. What does this teach us? It teaches us about the importance of the land of Israel!” And concerning all the spiritual dispositions, it is taught [b. Bava Batra 158b] that “the air of the land of Israel makes one wise,” unlike Egypt, which, though it is like the good and vast garden of the Lord, is overcome with the spirit of impurity. Rather, the divine presence, holiness, and purity rest upon it.

And now not only have we lost the cleaving of the divine presence, but also with regard to the land itself we do not have even four hundred measures of land in our yard. And what we once scorned, now we yearn for, even a small portion of the land. As Isaiah prophesied in his words from the destruction of the Temple: And thou shall be degraded, and shall speak from the land (Isaiah 29:4). When you are in the degradation of exile, then shall you speak about this land and say: Who will give us our land, woe unto our soil!?

Concerning the loss of these three things, the lamenter mourns:

How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people (Lamentations 1:1)!

This is in regard to quantity.

She was great among the nations:

This is in regard to quality.

A princess among the provinces:

This is in regard to the physical state of the Galilee and the country.