Tisha B'av: Remember Jerusalem

Chaverim:

Tonight begins the observance of Tisha B’av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, a day on which, according to tradition, the First and Second Temples were destroyed, in 586 b.c.e, and 70 c.e.  It’s not such a well-known holiday.  Why do we have a sad observance in the middle of the summer?  Was there no focus group to offer feedback on the idea of a somber fast day when most people would rather be at the beach?

Aviva Zorenberg teaches that Purim and Tisha B’av, almost six months apart, are natural signposts of the year.  Purim, you recall, is the story about a time when the Jews were almost destroyed; as if we could see the precipice before us, but were saved in the nick of time.  Tisha B’av, mourning the destruction of the Temple twice in history, stands as a warning that we’re not always so fortunate to be saved miraculously.  Tragedies sometimes do happen to us.

Yet we live in an era that our ancestors could barely imagine.  Jerusalem has been rebuilt, albeit without the ancient Temple.  But it is a modern and vibrant city, filled with an array of Jewish life that a century ago was unimaginable.  Although the texts we read on this day are of mourning, like the Book of Lamentations, the miracle of Jerusalem rebuilt is before us in our lifetime.  Even as we recall ancient sadness, one can easily travel (think: Birthright!) to a city that combines the ancient and the modern together.

So I encourage you to take a moment to remember Jerusalem, an essential part of our Jewish heritage.  Maybe listen to Matisyahu’s take on Psalm 137:  “Jerusalem, if I forget you, may my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.”  These days, the words of Psalm 122 are even more poignant:  “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem”.

May Jerusalem, all of Israel, and all her neighbors, dwell in peace and safety.

L’shalom,

Cantor Bob