“The precious sons of Zion, who were valued in gold, how are they considered earthenware jugs, the handiwork of the hands of the potter?” (Lamentations 4:2).“The precious sons of Zion,” in what way was their preciousness manifest? A resident of a [different] town who would marry a Jerusalemite woman would give her her weight in gold. Likewise, a Jerusalemite man who married a woman from a [different] town, they would give him his weight in gold.Another matter, in what way was their preciousness manifest? When one of them would marry a woman of more elevated status than he was, he would spend more to prepare tables for the wedding feast than he would for the household expenses; [if she was] of inferior status than he was, he would spend more on household expenses than he would on tables for the wedding feast.5The groom would spend money on the wedding feast in accordance with his bride’s honor rather than his own, so that he sufficiently honor her when she was of elevated status, but not accentuate his own honor when he was of superior status. This was an expression of the groom’s refined character.Another matter, in what way was their preciousness manifest? None of them would attend a feast until he was invited twice.6This was in case the messenger had mistakenly delivered the invitation to him instead of someone else, as in the incident with Kamtza and bar Kamtza, which the midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) will now relate (Matnot Kehuna).