“Let a man throw himself into a blazing furnace rather than shame another person in public.” - Berachot 43 "Shaming another in public is like shedding blood. ” – Baba Metzia 58 Such an incident led to the destruction of the Second Temple. A well-know dignitary had sent out invitations to a banquet, including one to his good friend Kamza. The invitation, however, was inadvertently addressed to one Bar Kamza, who was, in fact, an enemy of the host. During the banquet, the celebrant spotted the mistake and ordered Bar Kamza to leave his home. The guest pleaded with the host not to humiliate him and even offered to pay for the cost of the banquet. But the host, devoid of feeling, was adamant, seized Bar Kamza and threw him out. Full of rage - particularly since many sages were present did nothing to stop the indignity – Bar Kamza went to the Roman ruler and told him the tale. This, said the rabbis, set in motion the chain of events wh...