[Avodah] 10 tribes -- exile without redemption

[Lisa Liel via Avodah]

On 6/11/2017 8:39 AM, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
> On 6/9/2017 4:32 PM, Lisa Liel wrote:
>> Avodah zarah (not tzara) was worse in the northern kingdom because of 
>> assimilation.  The northern kingdom had assimilated to the point 
>> where they were culturally as much Phoenician as they were 
>> Israelite.  But even that wouldn't be cause for permanent exile. . . 
>> . Not at all.  Jehu could have reunited the kingdom.  And there were 
>> people from the northern kingdom who came back to us when the guards 
>> that were first posted by Jeroboam I were removed.  But having two 
>> separate exilic populations of Bnei Yisrael would have been 
>> disastrous in very many ways. 
> That's a bit harsh. The ten tribes had to disappear in order for our 
> exile to have ended successfully?

Why harsh?  Causes have effects.

> The whole story leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth - the lack of 
> (or weak) attempts to reunite the tribes, the lack of memory of them 
> (how many kinot on Tisha b'Av deal with the Temple and how many deal 
> with the 10 tribes? we don't even have a fast day for them), this 
> feeling of "good riddance" and history being written by the victors, 
> it doesn't speak well of our history.

Oholivah and Oholivamah comes to mind.  And we don't gloat over their 
downfall.  Binfol oyivcha al tismach applies to fellow Jews, which they 
were.

And what kind of attempts would you have wanted?  Jeremiah brought some 
of them back.  I'm sure others joined us in Bavel after we were exiled.  
But their exile was their own doing.  Though it affected us as well.

Lisa

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