Yoma 39—The Red String

Forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple, our sages tell us^[i] that signs of destruction already were visible in the Temple. The Yom Kippur raffle wouldn’t ever end up in the right hand of the High Priest, the Yom Kippur string wouldn’t whiten but would become red, the western candle of the Menorah would extinguish, and the doors of the Temple would open on their own accord. These were all interpreted by the sages as negative signs of an imminent destruction of Jerusalem.

The missionaries suggest that it was due to the death of their claimed Messiah Jesus, who died around that time, that these signs occurred. These signs were a message telling us “God doesn’t need your Temple or sacrifices in order to forgive sins, because Jesus already died for your sins.”

Contrary to this claim of theirs, the Torah tells us on the contrary that our Temple will be destroyed for our sins (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28), mentioning nothing of rejecting the Messiah. The sins began to increase about 40 years before the Temple’s destruction and those negative signs were warning signs for us telling us to repent (similar to the first forty days of rain before the Great Flood).^[ii] Any other explanation beyond what the Torah does tells us is mere “belief” that is not to be imposed on others. But how can we know it wasn’t because of Jesus?

Note that the following answers are only needed if Jesus actually existed and if he actually existed forty years before the destruction something which there is valid speculation and doubts about, as discussed in “The Resurrection Myth.”

(1) In order for it to be the result of Jesus’ death (and certainly to prove it), it obviously would have had to happen on the very day of his death—not before and not after. The exact year of Jesus’ death is very unclear from the New Testament writers (who naturally all contradict each other), but it was around 40 years before the destruction give or take a few years. If the signs indeed would begin on the very day of his death—wouldn’t the New Testament writers write about it? The Temple affairs were public, no one was (or could have been) hiding anything? From the fact that they didn’t write about it, shows that even they knew that it began on a different day, or more likely a different year! Similarly, no other writers of the time saw the connection that on Jesus’ death-day the signs began. You know why? Because it never happened.

(2) If it would have begun on the day of his death, the rabbis would have clearly seen the connection, and if they wouldn’t accept it as proof, they would at least attempt to hide the evidence that contradicts their beliefs and rejection of Jesus. Yet, they found no reason to withhold or hide this information but on the contrary they’ve transmitted it, spoke about it, and eventually wrote it in the Talmud. Why? Because it didn’t begin on his death-day.

(3) As said earlier, the Torah tells us that the destruction of the Temple is the result of our sins. Forty years before the destruction the heresy and rebelliousness of the nation reached new heights. Just about that time a new cult began, and according to the New Testament it was quite large. This group are the early Jewish Christians. Arguably, it was at large their fault for the judgment of the destruction of the Temple. Of course, it wasn’t only their sins, but was theirs in addition to the many other sinners and heretical factions, including the Sicarii, Sadducees, and Essen etc. The Talmud relates the violence and homicides at the time.^[iii] Josephus as well attests to this.^[iv]

Hence, the missionaries want to argue that it was due to the positive outcome of Jesus’ death that these signs occurred, but I will counter the very opposite: it was the result of Jesus and his early Jewish followers, in addition to other heretical factions within the Jewish community, that brought about the negative signs and ultimately the destruction some forty years later. I write this out of love, and not with hate, God forbid. I hope that the natural human nature of stubbornness and victory don’t overpower the much-needed rational analysis essential to turn to the truth.

[i] Yoma 39b.

[ii] See Rashi on Genesis 7:12 quoting from Midrash Bereshis Rabbah 31:12.

[iii]  The Talmud relates (Avodah zara 8b) that 40 years before the destruction of the Temple, the High Court was forced to move due to continuous acts of violence and murder.

[iv] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicarii