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But even though the Roman victory signaled the end of Jewish sovereignty, it did not mean the end of Torah Judaism. Rabi Yochanan ben Zakkai established a center of Torah learning at Yavneh and others followed. If there was no Beis HaMikdash, there was still halacha, there was still Shabbos, there was still an unshakable belief in Hashem.

That rankled in a world still dominated by Greek culture and thought.

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Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known in English as Hadrian and in the Talmud as Andrianus, was a great admirer of Greek culture. Yet when he first became Rome’s emperor he followed the path of tolerance. He even seemed amenable to letting the Jews rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Of course, that didn’t happen. Why did Hadrian change his mind? This is one of history’s great mysteries. But historians such as Paul Johnson, author of The History of the Jews, suggest that he may have been swayed by influential Roman Hellenists such as the historian Tacitus, whose admiration of everything Greek led him to hate anything Jewish.

Word soon got out that instead of rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash, Hadrian intended to build a pagan city upon the ruins of Jerusalem, Aelia Capitolina, as well as a shrine to the Roman god Jupiter on Har HaBayis.

Such a desecration could not be tolerated.

 

The Bar Kochba Revolt

Astaire-080814-CoinsThe Jews, under the leadership of the warrior Shimon ben Kosiba, rebelled—and for a brief period it looked like they were going to accomplish the impossible: send the Romans packing. Ben Kosiba and his forces quickly captured 50 strongholds and more than 900 undefended towns and villages, including Jerusalem. The victorious troops declared an independent state and began to mint coins. Rabi Akiva gave ben Kosiba a new name, Bar Kochba, a reference to the pasuk “A star has risen in Yaakov” (Bamidbar 24:17). In those heady days, it really did seem like Mashiach had come.

But then Hadrian ordered one of his best generals, Julius Severus, to go to Judea and take charge, and the tide changed. Severus and his soldiers began to retake the fortresses, towns and villages, one by one. Along with their military victories, the Romans began to institute cruel decrees. It was now forbidden, on pain of death, to observe Shabbos, bris milah and taharas mishpacha. Teaching Torah was forbidden as well.

The Mechilta (29 Shemos, Parshas Yisro) describes what life was like during these times:

“Rabi Noson says: “To those who love Me and keep My mitzvos” refers to Yisrael who dwells in the land of Israel and gives up their lives for the mitzvos.

‘Why are you being taken to be killed?’

‘Because I circumcised my son.’

‘Why are you being taken out to be burned?’

‘Because I read from the Torah.’

‘Why are you being taken out to be crucified?’

‘Because I ate matzah.’

‘Why are you being whipped?’

‘Because I took the lulav.’”

While thousands of Jews were being put to death for performing mitzvos, work commenced on building the new pagan city in Jerusalem. Jews were barred from entering the place except on one day, Tisha B’Av. On this day, the Jews were allowed to come and weep over all the misfortunes that had befallen them.

The final battle occurred at Beitar, where Bar Kochba had retreated with his troops, along with tens of thousands of Jewish refugees. The slaughter that occurred after the military fortress fell—the date was the 9th of Av 135 CE—is recorded in Midrash Rabba Eicha 2.2-4:

They slew the inhabitants until the horses waded in blood up to the nostrils …

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