Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, August 10, 2019

Aug 9, 2019 | Rabbis Reflections

Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, August 10, 2019 

Shabbat Shalom *|FNAME|*,

This RR is being published as the sun sets on Friday night (August 9th) bringing in the Shabbat.  The date on the Hebrew calendar is the 9th day of the Hebrew month Av, aka “Tisha B’Av.”  It is widely believed to be the very day on which both Temples (1st and 2nd) were destroyed.  For that reason, it is set aside as a day of mourning throughout Judaism.

Now that I said all that, let me really confuse you.  Today is NOT Tisha B’Av, but it is Tisha B’Av.  Let me explain.  Because Shabbat is the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar (and it appears on the calendar every week), nothing (except Yom Kippur) can interrupt the joy of Shabbat.  Therefore; Tisha B’Av will be celebrated on Sunday (which begins with sundown on Saturday night).

The destruction of both Temples are two of many calamities that have come upon Jewish communities on the 9th of Av.  Here is a list of some more.

  1. While the Israelites were still wandering in the desert, the spies returned from the Promised Land with frightening reports.
  2. In 133 CE, the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans ended in defeat. The Jews of Betar (the last holdout of the Bar Kochba revolt) were butchered. 
  3. In 1290 expulsion of England’s Jews, 1306 expulsion of Jews from France and the 1492 banishment of all Jews from Spain.
  4. The first crusade began in 1096 and 10,000 were murdered as the crusaders were on their way to recapture the holy land from Muslim control.
  5. Germany entered World War I (before WW II it was known as “The Great War”) in 1914.
  6. The “final solution” was put into effect in 1941.
  7. Deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto began in 1942.
  8. Jewish Community Center bombed in Buenos Aires killing 85 in 1994.
  9. Expulsion of 8,000 Jews from Gaza began in 2005.

Lamentations is read in many synagogues as part of the worship service on Tisha B’Av.  Here is a link to more details…  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisha_B%27Av#Five_calamities

Other than that, my friends, Shabbat Shalom.  I’m taking the rest of the day of rest as a day of rest.  Tomorrow we’ll have another RR authored by Raymond Finney.  

Lastly, I want to encourage you to attend Shomair this Shabbat.  Rebekah Taylor is helping us with worship on the keyboard and I will be speaking on Matthew 5 (The Beatitudes).  I’m looking forward to it.  Blessings.  R. Michael.