Tisha B’ Av, the ninth day of the month of Av in the Jewish calendar (July 26-27 this year), commemorates the seemingly unending tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people since ancient times. Some scholars state the first event was when the Jews wandering the desert refused to enter the Holy Land. More commonly, it was meant to remember the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians (423 BCE) and the Second Temple by the Romans (70 CE), all more or less occurring on the same date. In 133 CE the Bar Kochba rebellion against the Roman occupiers of Israel was crushed. The rebels and their families were butchered on Tisha B’ Av. One year later, the Temple Mount was plowed over on the same date.
There is more. In 1290 England expelled the Jews on Tisha B’ Av. The final date for the Jews of Spain to either leave or convert in 1492 was on this fateful day. Germany declared war on Russia in 1914 on Tisha B’ Av, setting in motion both the First and Second World Wars and thus, the Holocaust.
Yet this acknowledgment of the long history of affliction and horror is more than just a reminder of the legacy of injustice that is the inheritance of every Jew. It is also the time to let go of the illusory promises of this world and remember that justice requires unending commitment emotionally, socially and spiritually. It is up to each of us to play our part in the healing of this broken world within our families, our community and the wider world. No easy task, but it is the only counterbalance to the continuing pain in our lives. Tisha B’ Av offers a time to reflect on the tragedies, large and small, inflicted on all peoples throughout history and right now, and consider where we can stand up and make a difference.
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