Tishah b’Av – Traditions and Thoughts
Tishah b’Av (the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av) is a designated fast day for the Jews, marking the anniversary of several tragedies in Jewish history, including the destruction of first two Temples. This year, Tishah b’Av starts at sunset on Wednesday, July 29th and goes until sunset of the following day, July 30th. Around the world, Jews will be abstaining from food and drink and other forms of luxuries. It is customary to gather in synagogues at night and read Eicha/Lamentations, Jerimiah’s heart-breaking description of the Jerusalem’s destruction.
However, the history of tragedy which is linked to Tishah b’Av goes much further back than the destruction of Jerusalem or either of the two Temples. It goes back to the Torah, the book of Numbers, which relates the story of the Jews traveling in the desert towards Israel after leaving Egypt. When the Jews were first intended to go into Israel, they asked Moses to send spies into the land, so that they could be informed of its inhabitants and what challenges they would be up against. The spies came back on the 9th of Av with very frightening reports of how the inhabitants of Israel (the Land of Cana’an) were giants and how the land “eats up its inhabitants.” The Jews were terrified and spent the whole night crying and complaining that they would rather return to be slaves in Egypt than to attempt to conquer the Land of Cana’an. They doubted in themselves and in G-d’s ability to help them conquer a land they promised in. It was for this reason that G-d decreed that the Jews would have to wander in the desert for 40 more years, until every Jew of the generation would die. What’s more, G-d decreed that that since the Jews cried for no real reason on that night, the 9th of Av, that date would take on negative energy and in the future, be the anniversary of true tragedies (i.e. the destruction of the 2 Temples).
Thus, the inherent energy of negativity on Tishah b’Av has been sustained for thousands of years. Yet, according to kabbalah, that which has the strongest potential for negativity also contains the strongest potential for positivity. Tishah b’Av actually has the potential of being one of the most positive days of the year. It is believed that on Tishah b’Av the Moshiach is supposed to be born, bringing the whole world redemption.
The second Temple was said to be destroyed due to sinat chinam, baseless hatred. The Jews during the 2nd temple era did not treat one another with respect. Rather, they despised each other for no real reason. Kabbalah teaches that the only antidote to the suffering and destruction we’ve incurred due to baseless hatred is ahavat chinam, baseless love. In order for Tishah b’Av to be the day of positivity it has the potential to be, we all have to increase the amount of love we have for one another. We have to reach out and give, appreciating and radiating warmth and positivity to one another with no strings attached. We have to let go of our own self interests and think of others, loving them even when there seems to apparent reason to love.
The sages teach that every year that a new Temple is not rebuilt, it is as if the people in that generation had destroyed it. Thus, every year up until now, we have continued our pattern of baseless hatred and brought negativity to the world. Isn’t it time to break the pattern? This could be the year that baseless love could take over, making this years Tishah b’Av a reason to celebrate instead of mourn. Let us merit to be the generation that brings this wave of redemption into the world.
The above picture is “… an attempt to commerate those tragic events…” (destruction of both first and second temples) by Dzeni
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