Sota 48: How the Jewish People Changed After The Loss of the Temple

In Sota 47 a Mishna teaches that Yochanan the High Priest took away the declaration of tithes.  He also nullified the action of the awakeners and the strikers at the Temple.  Today's daf begins with clarification of those rulings.  The rabbis were concerned that much produce was not tithed properly. Yochanan the High Priest addressed this uncertainty.

A number of roles at the Temple are described: the awakeners called out, "Awake, why do you sleep, oh Lord" (Psalms 44:24) when the Levites were awake.  Yochanan found this unnecessary and ended this action.  The strikers would beat potential sacrificial animals to stun them before sacrifice, as the strikers would cut animals' foreheads so that the blood would block their eyes from witnessing their own deaths.  Such actions were thought to be problematic because 1) they were similar to how sacrifices to idols were treated, 2) they created blemishes on animals that should be unblemished, and 3) a damaged membrane in the brain could result in the animal dying within the year which makes the animal disqualified for sacrifice. It is shocking to my modern sensibility that this is not problematic because it is needlessly cruel.

Yochanan the High Priest ended this practice by introducing 24 metal rings that were secured in the Temple courtyard, The animals' heads would go through those rings and then the animals would be secured.

A new Mishna teaches us about other things that were nullified after the Temple was destroyed and the Sanhedrin ceased.  These include:

• song during feasts (from Isaiah 24:9: With song they shall not drink wine")
• the shamir worm
• sweet honeycombs
• pious men within the Jewish people
• the urim vetummim* (after the early prophets died)
• each day is cursed
• the fruit has lost its taste
• fruit has lost its fat
• all has been consumed by promiscuity and witchcraft

The Gemara begins by challenging the declaration that song cannot coexist with wine.  The rabbis consider situations where song is said to be forbidden by prophets.  They also describe the need for those who pull boats or row in unison to sing while they work.  It seems that Rav Chisda noticed that some people, like weavers and rowers, were singing innocently, while others were singing lewd lyrics.  Rav Chisda the prohibition and people sang again.  There is a reference here to a change in the price of ducks, but I am unclear about how this is connected to our discussion of song.

Rav Yosef suggests that it is a song's call and response between men and women that is problematic because it encourages licentiousness.   Isaiah is quoted as saying that a number of instruments, including the harp, the psaltery, the drum and the pipe are very dangerous when combined with wine. A note teaches us that this list of instruments extends to all instruments.

The rabbis try to determine which prophets are the "early prophets", after which there was no use of the umim vetummim.  David, Samuel and Solomon?  Was this the same time that the Divine Spirit left the Jewish people?  What about the Divine Voice - for how long was that heard?  The rabbis speak of a number of different elders and how they were treated in death; the phrase, "Oh pious one, oh humble one, student of..." is shared to reflect the honour bestowed on those rabbis.

The rabbis go on to describe other differences, and negative differences, in particular, that occurred.  We learn more about the shamir worm, which was said to to somehow cut through the stones that we used to build the Temple with King Solomon.  Without that worm, there was no way to rebuild the Temple.   We also learn more about the decreased quality of silk/glass, honey, and the faith of the people.

It is fascinating that today's daf focuses on what the rabbis do not know: when did things change?  What exactly changed at that time?   They are so similar to us, looking back 2000 years to try to better understand intentions and meaning.  However, these monumental events had just occurred, relatively speaking.  

*the precious stones representing the 12 tribes that were placed on the High Priest's breastplate