“And the people in this story who failed to protest are being pointed at precisely because they have influence and power in the situation.” - Benay Lappe
Welcome to The Oral Talmud, our weekly deep dive chevruta study partnership, discovering how voices of the Talmud from 1500 years ago can help us rethink Judaism today.
Like our previous week’s episode, this was recorded in June of 2020, in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of police. Likewise, we turn to another text which emphasizes the culpability of bystanders and those who remain silent when witnessing cruelty – a story of how one wrong party invitation devolves into the Fall of Jerusalem. When is it time to speak up? How do victims of harm understand our silence? What compromises are we willing to make to avoid worse consequences? Which actions become understandable when we recognize how deeply the social contract has been violated? When we tell stories about our past, what are we saying about our present?
This week’s text: Kamtza, bar Kamtza, and the Fall of Jerusalem (Gittin 55b-56a)
Find an edited transcript and full shownotes of references and further reading on The Oral Talmud webpage for this episode! Access the Sefaria Source Sheet to explore key Talmud texts and find the original video of our discussion. The Oral Talmud is a co-production of Judaism Unbound and SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva. If you’re enjoying this podcast, please help us keep both fabulous Jewish organizations going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation at oraltalmud.com. You can find a donate button on the top right corner of the website.