This evening is the beginning of Tisha B’Av… the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av.
On this day in our history, so many tragic things occurred that the rabbis eventually declared it a day of fasting and mourning, of commemoration and commiseration.
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During the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the 10 Spies, and the decree was issued forbidding them from entering the Land of Israel. (1312 BCE)
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The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. 100,000 Jews were slaughtered and millions more exiled. (586 BCE)
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The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus. Some two million Jews died, and another one million were exiled. (70 CE)
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The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed by Roman Emperor Hadrian. The city of Betar — the Jews’ last stand against the Romans — was captured and liquidated. Over 100,000 Jews were slaughtered. (135 CE).
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The Temple area and its surroundings were ploughed under by the Roman general Turnus Rufus. Jerusalem was rebuilt as a pagan city — renamed Aelia Capitolina — and access was forbidden to Jews.
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The Spanish Inquisition culminated with the expulsion of Jews from Spain on Tisha B’Av in 1492.
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World War One broke out on the eve of Tisha B’Av in 1914 when Germany declared war on Russia. German resentment from the war set the stage for the Holocaust.
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On the eve of Tisha B’Av 1942, the mass deportation began of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, en route to Treblinka.
At sundown, the laws of Tisha B’Av commence. They consist, among other things, of a total fast – no eating or drinking until nightfall the following evening. After services this evening, we read the Book of Lamentations.
Here is a Crash Course on Tisha B’Av, from the Aish HaTorah website.
May this year be the last time we mourn for all the great loses and tragedies. Instead, let us rededicate ourselves to building a home for the Almighty in our midst based in the hearts and souls and good deeds of His people.
L’Shana HaBa’ah B’Yerushalayim. L’anno Prossimo a Gerusalemme. Next Year in Jerusalem.
koshersamurai 