17th of Tammuz 5783: Which Tamid Ceased? (Part 1: Questions)
I came up with some juicy questions on this topic, but no answers. I wrote up these questions and am sharing them on the 16th of Tammuz hoping we can find answers by (or on) the 17th.
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17th of Tammuz 5783: Which Tamid Ceased? (Part 1: Questions)
The mishnah in Taanis 4:6 lists the five tragic events we recall and mourn on the 17th of Tammuz:
Five things happened to our ancestors on the 17th of Tammuz ... (1) the tablets were broken, (2) the [korban] tamid (i.e. the “continual” daily offering) ceased, (3) the [walled] city [of Jerusalem] was breached, (4) Apostomos burned the Torah, and (5) he erected an idol in the Sanctuary.
Before we attempt to understand the significance of the tamid’s cessation, we first need to get the facts. The most basic question is: When did the cessation of the tamid happen: during the First Temple or the Second?
The Rambam answers this question in his codification of our mishnah in Hilchos Taaniyos 5:2, writing that “the tamid ceased from the First Temple.” The question is: How does the Rambam know this? In fact, how does anybody know that the tamid ceased on the 17th of Tammuz? This event isn’t mentioned anywhere in Tanach.
When we consult the Talmud Bavli on this mishnah, we find that its commentary on our clause consists of a single word: “gemara” meaning “this is a received tradition” (Taanis 28b). This may answer our question about the source of the mishnah’s claim, but it isn’t very helpful for understanding the particulars of the event. Thankfully, Talmud Yerushalmi (Berachos 4:1:12-13, Taaniyos 4:5:3) provides a much fuller account of this received tradition:
“the tamid ceased.” R' Simon said in the name of R' Yehoshua ben Levi: During the days of the Hellenistic government, the [Jewish officials of the Temple] would lower them two boxes with gold [intended as payment] and [the Greeks] would give them two lambs to pull up [which were sacrificed in the two daily offerings of the korban tamid]. One time they lowered them two boxes with gold, and they gave them two young goats [which cannot be used for the tamid]. At that moment, Ha'Kadosh Baruch Hu enlightened their eyes and they found two certified lambs in the hall of lambs [where sacrificial lambs were stored for safekeeping to ensure they were blemish-free] ... R' Levi said: Also in the days of the present evil government (i.e. Rome) they would lower them two boxes with gold and they would give them two lambs. But in the end, they lowered them two boxes of gold and they gave them two swine to pull up. They did not manage to raise them up to half the height of the wall when the swine clawed the wall and jumped 40 parsangs from the Land of Israel. At that time, the iniquities [of the Jewish people] caused the tamid to cease and the Temple to be destroyed.
The good news is that we now have a clearer picture of what transpired, and when. The “bad” news – at least, for the Rambam – is that according to the Yerushalmi, the cessation of the tamid happened during the Second Temple era, not the First! And it’s not just the Yerushalmi which reports this, but also Josephus (Wars of the Jews 6:2):
Titus ordered his soldiers to dig up the foundations of the Antonia Tower and make an easy entry for his whole army to come up. He sent Josephus out when he heard that on that day, the day of the 17th of the month of Panemos (Tammuz), the sacrifice to God called the korban tamid ceased, due to the lack of men who were fit to offer it in accordance with halacha, and the people were disheartened by this.
We now have two questions on the Rambam: (1) What is his source for maintaining that the tamid’s cessation occurred during the First Temple era? (2) Why does he give this view more weight than the Yerushalmi?
But perhaps the most important question of all is: Why should we care? Rambam (Hilchos Taaniyos 5:1) writes that the purpose of these national fast days is: “to awaken hearts and open the paths of teshuvah” by recalling “our corrupt actions and the corrupt actions of our fathers that were like our actions today, which culminated in bringing about these catastrophes for them and for us.” Does the answer to the question, “Which tamid ceased?” have a bearing on the national teshuvah we engage in on this day?
I don’t have answers to these questions. If you have thoughts, please let me know in the comments!
If you’re in the mood for a FULL idea about why we reflect on the cessation of the tamid and what kind of national teshuvah we ought to engage in, check out my other article on this topic (which doubles as a dvar Torah on this week’s parashah): Pinchas / 17th of Tammuz 5780: The Korban Tamid and its Cessation.
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I was expecting some answers! (Teach me to not skip the italicized intro.) Maybe a reason we would care if it's 1st vs 2nd temple is that there were different sins/corruptions/confusions and it would shed light on the problems of that time and give us different openings for teshuva
The Yad Pshutah (I saw at the bottom of the Rambam that you linked to) has (seemingly) a very nice answer as to why the Rambam said it was Bayis Rishon. I would write it out... but it's late and I'm tired 😴.
As to the relevance of which Bayis - I'm wondering if it was just for record keeping? It's a good question...
Also I must say the Dall-E for this article is very impressive!