And he said, "Since the Sages were sitting and did not protest against him, etc.": One can say that [when we say that] they did not protest because they did not have it in their power to do so, it's possible that they did [not protest] because of the false flattery that overcame that generation, as it is written in Sotah (41a) concerning King Agrippas.

They sent them a three (year-old) calf, etc.: He hinted to them that the accounting of the [golden] calf - "on the day when I make an accounting, I will take account" (Exodus 32:32) - was still in their hands, as it was with the destruction of the First Temple. [This is] as it is written in [the chapter entitled] Chelek, "Those who have charge over the city draw near, each man [bearing] his weapons of destruction" (Ezekiel 9:1) - that was the calf, as it is stated, "on the day when I make an accounting, I will take account, etc." And perhaps he said, a three (year-old) calf, with regards to the three [idolatrous] calves, as it is also written there: Until Yerovam, Israel was nursing from one calf; from then on, from three calves. And it said...

That he made a blemish on the calf’s upper [lip], etc. where according to us, it is a blemish, etc. He hinted to them [in] that generation that they had people who were masters of evil speech, which is a blemish in the upper lip of man. "And some say he made the blemish on its eyelids" - since there were miserly (literally tight-eyed) people, which is a blemish in their eyelids; as is recognizable from this story. For he did not want that his fellow should benefit from his feast, and he even embarrassed him with words. And it said...

They will say that blemished animals may be sacrificed, etc.: As blemished animals may certainly be offered here in this way, for the sake of peace in the country. However they would learn to say that blemished animals like this can also be offered in a different [situation], that is not for the sake of peace in the country. "Through Rabbi Zekhariah ben Avkolas, our Temple was destroyed and our Sanctuary was burned, etc.": Even if exile had then [already] been decreed upon them on account of senseless hatred, it is possible that the Temple would not have been destroyed - that the [Roman] government would have spared it if its offering had been sacrificed. But now that it was not sacrificed, its anger was against the Temple. For it said, "I have no need for it."

When he shot an arrow to the east, etc.: He did this by way of divination when he was close to Jerusalem, as Rashi explained. But it appears according to its context, that he was standing in one of the four directions of Jerusalem and shot his arrows to the four directions. Yet if so, one of these four directions was towards Jerusalem, so there would be no novelty when it fell in Jerusalem, if he was close to Jerusalem. But it is possible that he was not so close to the city that he could shoot at the city, yet a wind carried it in a wonderous fashion until the city.

He said to him, "And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom, etc." My vengeance - since they destroyed the house of the Holy One, blessed be He, with the Second Temple, and the revenge will be through My people, Israel; this is not like the First Temple, in which the revenge was not through Israel but rather through the Persian Empire. But for the future, it is stated (Ovadiah 1:21), "And saviors will come up out of Mount Zion, etc." And that is what he said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to destroy His Temple" - as if He did not want this, it would be impossible to destroy it with our hands. "And He wishes to wipe his hands with that man, etc." And it said...

So he fled and became a convert, etc.: See Sefer HaYechusin: So is it found in the Book of the of Kings' Chronicles - that Nero Caesar fled, etc. To here are his words, see there.

There were these three wealthy people, etc.: In Eichah Rabbati, this whole story is found in a different form: There the name, Nakdimon ben Gurion, is considered two [names of two people], so they are four wealthy people. And it said, "Nakdimon, because the sun pierced (nakad), etc." - it explains their names according to that which is written in the first chapter of Yoma about the Second Temple; that they were occupied with Torah [study] and with the commandments, etc. And that is why it said, "Since even their wealthy people were masters of good deeds. Nakdimon, because [the sun] pierced for him, etc. from his prayer" - as it is explained in Taanit. "Ben Kalba Savua, anyone who entered, etc." - as his bread was available to all. "Ben Tzitzit, etc." - as he was careful about the commandment of fringes (tzitzit), as it is written about them (Numbers 15:40), "In order that you will remember [...] all of My commandments, etc." "There are those who say that his seat was found, etc." - so he was able to apologize for them in front of the government, if it were not because "there were zealots in it, etc.," as it concludes. And these were unbridled Jews who were among them, as is explained in Yossifon (Josephus). And from their hatred of one another, they caused the destruction and the exile. As they were not willing to submit to the Romans, as it says, "The Sages said to them, 'Let us make peace, etc.'" As they already knew [they could not win], for it was a sign from the Fathers to the children. As Yaakov said, "Let my master go before his servant, etc." (Genesis 33:14) - as it is explained in my Novellae on the Aggadot in the first chapter of Avodah Zarah. And that is why the Sages said, "You will not be successful in waging war against them." And it said...

Marta bat Baitos was a wealthy, etc.: It appears to me that this is not the Marta bat Baitos whom Yehoshua ben Gamla betrothed, as we learned (in a mishnah) in the chapter [entitled], HaBa al Yevimto (Yevamot 61a). As that was in the time of King Yannai, as we say there. And Yannai was much before the time of the destruction, as he was from the sons of the Hasmoneans, as is shown in several places. However in Yoma, Tosafot explained that this Yannai is not that Yannai who was from the sons of the Hasmoneans. As if so, he would not have established Yehoshua to be the high priest, for he himself was a high priest - as it said in the chapter [entitled] HaOmer.

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai read concerning her, "The tender and delicate woman among you who would not adventure, etc." Because all of the matter is already written about a man (Deuteronomy 28:54-55), "The tender and very delicate man among you, his eye will be evil, etc.," except for this which is not written about a man. Rather it adds this thing about a woman who is extremely tender and delicate by nature, to hint about this woman.

There is no fine flour, there is white, etc.: It counted four types of bread here - because when the Temple existed, they would offer the thanksgiving breads, which were four types. It is based on, 'and does He need our bread?' Rather it is our provisions from the Table of the Most High, so that our livelihood be blessed with these four types of bread that are mentioned here. And when this offering ceased in the Temple - beyond their ingratitude in that they burned all their provisions - the four types of bread mentioned above were taken away.

As Rabbi Tzadok observed fasts for forty years, so that it not be destroyed, etc.: As forty years before the Temple was destroyed, the High Court (Sanhedrin) ceased, and they saw signs of the destruction with it; as we say in the chapter [entitled] Havu Bodkin, that forty years before the Temple was destroyed, the High Court (Sanhedrin) ceased. And be precise and you will find it simple.

All of her gold and silver, and threw it in the marketplace, etc. "They shall cast their silver in the streets": It is relying on the later part of the verse, as it is written, "Their silver and gold shall not avail to save them in the day of the Lord's wrath; to satisfy their hunger, etc." And in the first part of the verse, "their gold," is not written concerning casting out. Rather it is written like this: And their gold shall be treated as something unclean, etc." And perhaps it is about the greatness of their sin with gold: As it is written in Yoma that Marta bat Baitos brought a large container of gold to King Yannai, to establish Yehoshua ben Gamla as the high priest.

And kill everyone through starvation, etc.: Even though they said, "Let us go out and engage in battle against them" - nevertheless according to the opinion of the Sages, it would not [have been] successful. So since they burned the storehouse of wheat, the starvation was ascribed to them. And be precise and you will find it simple.

And let no one else come in so that they not notice that you, etc.: And about that which they would not let anyone else come in to him, they would not notice [anything]. For it is the way of the righteous to be exacting about this, like we find with Yaakov, that he commanded that only his children carry him, and not his grandchildren. And be precise and you will find it simple.

Greetings to you, the king; greetings, etc. As we double greetings to the king, as we say later on at the end of our chapter.

I am not a king, etc.: Rashi explained: And you mocked me. To here are his words. But were it not for his words, it appears that it is because he demeaned the honor of the [standing] king and caesar at that time.