Beginning on Rosh Hodesh Av, which we observe today, many Jews commence rituals of mourning leading up to Tisha B’Av (the ninth of Av). By refraining from wine, meat, and haircuts, Jews lament the destruction of Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and again by the Romans in 70 C.E.
Regarding the second destruction of Jerusalem, the Talmud suggests that Jerusalem was destroyed on account of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, two feuding aristocrats whose enmity drew Rome into Judea.
Though clearly fictitious, the tale underscores the very real dangers posed to Judea by its contentious political and religious sectarianism, which left the Jews in no position to either forge a better relationship with Rome or to mount any meaningful resistance to the Roman invasion that destroyed Jerusalem.
As we count down the days toward Tisha B’Av, the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza seems increasingly poignant, as our nation, engulfed in a sectarian conflict of its own, struggles to mount a meaningful response to global pandemic. Unlike our ancestors, perhaps we can discover from our sages the need to place the welfare of all above our sectarian interests before it’s too late.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel