Tisha B’Av – The Fast of the Ninth of Av
This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.
Israeli Chief Rabbis Urge us to Fast:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292056542&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
“The chief rabbis of Israel called this week on secular Jews to join their religious brethren in fasting on Tisha Be'av as a way of showing solidarity and unity at a time of war.
"Those brothers and sisters who usually do not fast should make a special effort to do so this year to express the pain of those adversely affected by the war," wrote Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.
The fast begins at sundown on Wednesday night and ends on Thursday at about 8 p.m.
"The Israeli nation is connected one to the other by mutual responsibility, the rabbis wrote." On this day, a national day of mourning, it is especially important to show and express our pain and hurt over the dissension that caused the destruction of the Temple."”
From www.Artscroll.com:
PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WITH THIS FREE DOWNLOAD
As the situation in Israel grows more acute and our brothers and sisters are showered with missiles, a call has been issued calling for the daily recitation of Tehillim / Psalms by every Jew. We are urged to devote at least a few minutes a day to pray for our brethren and specifically to recite Psalms 20, 83, 121, 130 and 142.
In order to facilitate these meaningful prayers, we are providing a FREE DOWNLOAD of the recommended Psalms, excerpted from the Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Psalms.
We hope that the unity and prayers of the Jewish people in this troubled time will bring peace and security to our people wherever they may be.
Their downloads are found at http://www.artscroll.com/itehillim.html#tehillim.
Aish.com produced a short two minute film about the current Mid-East Conflict. Its perhaps a bit simplistic but it clear presentation of its logical arguments (something typically sorely lacking) in my opinion makes it very worthwhile watching. http://www.aish.com/movies/Lebanon.asp
Beyond the Letter of the Law and the Spiritual Jerusalem
Marking the date for the destruction of both Temples, the Ninth of Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, and it continues to be the date for other tragedies. See http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/bhyom/hebrew/av.htm for a partial list of terrible events which occurred on Tisha B’Av.
This is a time when we must truly morn and cry over what has befallen us and mend our ways. Specifically, in accordance with our Sages’ teaching that “Any generation which does not witness the rebuilding of the Temple is considered as if it destroyed it” (Medrish Psalms 137:10), we ourselves must depart from the sins which caused the Temple’s destruction, sins which we ourselves commit. So what caused the destruction? What must we correct?
There are actually many different reasons given by our Sages for the destruction. See http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5764/5764summ/LEGALEAS.PDF. I however would like to focus on one specific reason:
Rabbi Yohanan said: “Jerusalem was only destroyed because they acted in accordance with Torah law but did not go beyond the letter of the law” (Bava Metzia 30b). (Tosafos understands this to refer to the destruction of the Second Temple)
[[Without that Tosafos, I would have guessed it referred to Jerusalem’s destruction after the Bar Kochba revolt]]
I have chosen to focus on this reason because Rashi and Ramban understand the verse from this week’s parshah “Do what is upright and good in the eyes of G-d” (Deuteronomy 6:18) to refer to going beyond one’s legal obligations.
Why should it be that failing to go beyond the letter of the law caused the destruction of Jerusalem?
I believe it is connected to something inherent in the nature of the land of Israel. Rabbi Moshe Eisemann cites a medrish which says that Jerusalem will expand as far as Demesek (not necessarily Damascus, possibly a location to its north). When challenged on the basis of a verse, the Medrish responds and concludes “In the future, the land of Israel will become wider and wider as it moves ‘upwards’ and will appear like a fig tree that is narrow on the bottom and wider at its crown and [in this manner] the gates of Jerusalem will reach Demesek” (Harp Strings and Heart Strings, by R. Moshe Eisemann, page 21, citing Sifrei 1 to Deuteronomy).
What exactly does this medrish mean? Will Israel look like a tree? Will Jerusalem expand into Syria? Rabbi Eisemann explains that there are two Lands of Israel, two Jerusalems. One is physical, the other spiritual. While the physical Land and City are fixed in place, their spiritual counterparts are “limitless.”
So too with going beyond the letter of the law. Rav Soloveitchik, in his eulogy for the Talner Rebbetzin said “Kindness is not always identical with greatness. As long as kindness is rational, logically warranted and justified by normal considerations, it does not have to be equated with greatness. When does kindness turn into greatness? When kindness reaches the dimension of the absurd and becomes hesed which, according to Maimonides, connotes exaggeration, too much, unwarranted and unnecessary… The more absurd, the greater the deed” (Tradition 17:2, page 81)
Rav Soloveitchik provides an example:
“’Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said: ‘quick, three measures of choice flour! Kneed, and make cakes!’’ [Genesis 18:6] Why was Sarah supposed to do all that? Sarah was not an idler. She was involved, doing her own work. Why should Sarah interrupt her activity and bake cakes for three Bedouins whom Abraham had invited? Was it not paradoxical to expect Sarah to comply with such a request? And yet Sarah did not resent it at all. She interrupted her work and got busy baking cakes” (ibid).
Going beyond the letter of the law is limitless and ridiculous from a purely utilitarian perspective. And yet, that is what is expected of us. The Land of Israel is limitless and its spiritual potential simply boggles the mind. I think the reason why Jerusalem was destroyed for failing to go beyond the letter of the law is that the Land of Israel and going beyond the letter of the law ipso facto, by their very nature, must go hand in hand! When one is lacking, so is the other. It is our task to rebuild Jerusalem and the Holy Land and this can only be accomplished by exceeding our duties and simply doing the absurd.
For more great information about the Ninth of Av: Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice-president of the Orthodox Union, leads every year a powerful exploration of the meaning of many Kinos, poems of lament, which we recite on the Ninth of Av. Past years’ videos can be found online at http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/default.htm.
Have a meaningful and easy fast,
Mordechai
Some information about Talner (Chernobyl) Chassidim http://www.geocities.com/azgrabe/TolnerRebbes.html
Some autobiographical information about Rabbi Moshe Eisemann http://www.yeshivakishiniev.org/about.htm
This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.
Israeli Chief Rabbis Urge us to Fast:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292056542&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
“The chief rabbis of Israel called this week on secular Jews to join their religious brethren in fasting on Tisha Be'av as a way of showing solidarity and unity at a time of war.
"Those brothers and sisters who usually do not fast should make a special effort to do so this year to express the pain of those adversely affected by the war," wrote Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.
The fast begins at sundown on Wednesday night and ends on Thursday at about 8 p.m.
"The Israeli nation is connected one to the other by mutual responsibility, the rabbis wrote." On this day, a national day of mourning, it is especially important to show and express our pain and hurt over the dissension that caused the destruction of the Temple."”
From www.Artscroll.com:
PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WITH THIS FREE DOWNLOAD
As the situation in Israel grows more acute and our brothers and sisters are showered with missiles, a call has been issued calling for the daily recitation of Tehillim / Psalms by every Jew. We are urged to devote at least a few minutes a day to pray for our brethren and specifically to recite Psalms 20, 83, 121, 130 and 142.
In order to facilitate these meaningful prayers, we are providing a FREE DOWNLOAD of the recommended Psalms, excerpted from the Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Psalms.
We hope that the unity and prayers of the Jewish people in this troubled time will bring peace and security to our people wherever they may be.
Their downloads are found at http://www.artscroll.com/itehillim.html#tehillim.
Aish.com produced a short two minute film about the current Mid-East Conflict. Its perhaps a bit simplistic but it clear presentation of its logical arguments (something typically sorely lacking) in my opinion makes it very worthwhile watching. http://www.aish.com/movies/Lebanon.asp
Beyond the Letter of the Law and the Spiritual Jerusalem
Marking the date for the destruction of both Temples, the Ninth of Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, and it continues to be the date for other tragedies. See http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/bhyom/hebrew/av.htm for a partial list of terrible events which occurred on Tisha B’Av.
This is a time when we must truly morn and cry over what has befallen us and mend our ways. Specifically, in accordance with our Sages’ teaching that “Any generation which does not witness the rebuilding of the Temple is considered as if it destroyed it” (Medrish Psalms 137:10), we ourselves must depart from the sins which caused the Temple’s destruction, sins which we ourselves commit. So what caused the destruction? What must we correct?
There are actually many different reasons given by our Sages for the destruction. See http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5764/5764summ/LEGALEAS.PDF. I however would like to focus on one specific reason:
Rabbi Yohanan said: “Jerusalem was only destroyed because they acted in accordance with Torah law but did not go beyond the letter of the law” (Bava Metzia 30b). (Tosafos understands this to refer to the destruction of the Second Temple)
[[Without that Tosafos, I would have guessed it referred to Jerusalem’s destruction after the Bar Kochba revolt]]
I have chosen to focus on this reason because Rashi and Ramban understand the verse from this week’s parshah “Do what is upright and good in the eyes of G-d” (Deuteronomy 6:18) to refer to going beyond one’s legal obligations.
Why should it be that failing to go beyond the letter of the law caused the destruction of Jerusalem?
I believe it is connected to something inherent in the nature of the land of Israel. Rabbi Moshe Eisemann cites a medrish which says that Jerusalem will expand as far as Demesek (not necessarily Damascus, possibly a location to its north). When challenged on the basis of a verse, the Medrish responds and concludes “In the future, the land of Israel will become wider and wider as it moves ‘upwards’ and will appear like a fig tree that is narrow on the bottom and wider at its crown and [in this manner] the gates of Jerusalem will reach Demesek” (Harp Strings and Heart Strings, by R. Moshe Eisemann, page 21, citing Sifrei 1 to Deuteronomy).
What exactly does this medrish mean? Will Israel look like a tree? Will Jerusalem expand into Syria? Rabbi Eisemann explains that there are two Lands of Israel, two Jerusalems. One is physical, the other spiritual. While the physical Land and City are fixed in place, their spiritual counterparts are “limitless.”
So too with going beyond the letter of the law. Rav Soloveitchik, in his eulogy for the Talner Rebbetzin said “Kindness is not always identical with greatness. As long as kindness is rational, logically warranted and justified by normal considerations, it does not have to be equated with greatness. When does kindness turn into greatness? When kindness reaches the dimension of the absurd and becomes hesed which, according to Maimonides, connotes exaggeration, too much, unwarranted and unnecessary… The more absurd, the greater the deed” (Tradition 17:2, page 81)
Rav Soloveitchik provides an example:
“’Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said: ‘quick, three measures of choice flour! Kneed, and make cakes!’’ [Genesis 18:6] Why was Sarah supposed to do all that? Sarah was not an idler. She was involved, doing her own work. Why should Sarah interrupt her activity and bake cakes for three Bedouins whom Abraham had invited? Was it not paradoxical to expect Sarah to comply with such a request? And yet Sarah did not resent it at all. She interrupted her work and got busy baking cakes” (ibid).
Going beyond the letter of the law is limitless and ridiculous from a purely utilitarian perspective. And yet, that is what is expected of us. The Land of Israel is limitless and its spiritual potential simply boggles the mind. I think the reason why Jerusalem was destroyed for failing to go beyond the letter of the law is that the Land of Israel and going beyond the letter of the law ipso facto, by their very nature, must go hand in hand! When one is lacking, so is the other. It is our task to rebuild Jerusalem and the Holy Land and this can only be accomplished by exceeding our duties and simply doing the absurd.
For more great information about the Ninth of Av: Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice-president of the Orthodox Union, leads every year a powerful exploration of the meaning of many Kinos, poems of lament, which we recite on the Ninth of Av. Past years’ videos can be found online at http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/default.htm.
Have a meaningful and easy fast,
Mordechai
Some information about Talner (Chernobyl) Chassidim http://www.geocities.com/azgrabe/TolnerRebbes.html
Some autobiographical information about Rabbi Moshe Eisemann http://www.yeshivakishiniev.org/about.htm
posted by Mordechai18 at 8:09 PM
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