Jerusalem, 3758 AM: King Herod died.
Although Herod did rebuild the second Beis HaMikdash, and turned it into one of the most glorious buildings in its time, as Chazal tells us, “One who did not see the Beis HaMikdash in its constructed state, never saw a magnificent structure. The Gemara asks: What is the Beis HaMikdash building to which the Sages refer? Abaye said, and some say that it was Rav Chisda who said: This is referring to the magnificent building of Herod, who renovated the Second Beis HaMikdash.”
He is still remembered for the following: “Herod was a slave in the house of the Hasmoneans. He set his eyes upon a certain young girl from the house of the Hasmoneans. One day that man, Herod, heard a Divine Voice that said: Any slave who rebels now will succeed. He rose up and killed all his masters, but spared that girl. When that girl saw that he wanted to marry her, she went up to the roof and raised her voice, and said: Whoever comes and says: I come from the house of the Hasmoneans, is a slave, since only that girl, i.e., I, remained from them. And that girl fell from the roof to the ground and died.”
Sources: Megillas Taanis; Sukkah 51b, Bava Basra 3b
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲?
Present them with the gift of their heritage — their very own family tree!
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