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[The Bulletin] Jews Observe Solemn Fast, Recall Historical Tragedies (by David Bedein)

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:28:44 GMT

Jews Observe Solemn Fast, Recall Historical Tragedies
By: David Bedein, The Bulletin
08/07/2008
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This Sunday, Jewish people around the world observe the fast day that marks the ninth of Av on the Jewish calendar. The fast of the Ninth of Av is only one of two days of the year that Jews observe the command to fast for a full 25 hours. The other full fast day is the Day of Atonement, known in Hebrew as Yom Kippur, when Jewish people ask God and their fellow man to forgive them for sins that they have committed, knowingly and unknowingly.
The fast of the Ninth of Av is decidedly different.
While Yom Kippur focuses on the individual in the context of the greater community at large, The Ninth of Av focuses on the Jewish people as a whole, and the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people. It was on the Ninth of Av that both Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, in 586 BC and 70 AD, respectively.
It was on the ninth of Av that the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. It was on the Ninth of Av that the first trains of Jews were dispatched by the Nazis to the Auschwitz death camp in 1942.
Yet it was also on the Ninth of Av that, according to the Biblical account, the spies who were sent by Moses to check out the land of Israel came back with a negative report, saying that the Israelites should go back to Egypt.
The "nay saying" of the spies who did not want to inherit the land chosen by God for the people of Israel was a portent of things to come, because Jewish tradition has it that it was the deterioration of integrity among the Jewish people values that led to the destruction of both Holy Temples, by Babylonia and by Rome, respectively.
The teachings on the Ninth of Av focus on the Book of Lamentations, which, according to the Jewish tradition, was authored by the prophet Jeremiah, who witnessed the Jewish people being taken into exile.
The Book of Lamentations commences with the question as to "How Jerusalem stood alone," with hints throughout the book of the moral degradation of the Jewish people which caused the inner weakness of the communal Jewish resolve, which caused Israel's enemies to besiege and conquer and try to destroy the people of Israel.
While the Ninth of Av is widely observed in Israel by the Jewish people who live in Israel, this is a fast day that is not as well known or respected amongst Jews of North America. The reason given is that it occurs in the summer, when people are on vacation. Yet there may be a deeper reason.
In Israel the subject of the threat to destroy Israel and the threat to murder the Jewish people as a whole remains part of the national culture and, in many ways is part of the daily news story.
A high percentage of Israelis are descended from people murdered by Hitler in World War II. A high percentage of Israelis are survivors of that catastrophe. And Israel has been fighting a war for its existence for 60 years.
Jews who live outside of Israel rarely speak about such things in their common parlance. Although the Jewish holidays of Purim and Passover relate to the threat to the people of Israel, from Persia and Egypt respectively, these are happy, joyous occasions, where families gather and also enjoy themselves.
There is no joy on the Ninth of Av. The tradition of the Ninth of Av is that people do not even greet each other with a friendly hello.
This year, with Iran and its clients Hamas and Hezbollah gnawing at Israel from the north and south of the country, echoing the Iranian call for Israel's obliteration, the message of the Ninth of Av could not be more relevant.
The Jewish answer to this reality is stated near the end of the Book of Lamentations, where Jewish people are asked to "examine their ways and to return to God's path," with a deep understanding that the persecution of the Jews can be somewhat reduced by a choice to live a more ethical life in the path of the Torah through which God has commanded the people of Israel.
On this Ninth of Av, Jews in the United States may be somewhat awakened by an international conference that will gather at the Wyndham Hotel near O'Hare Airport, taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
The theme of that conference: to "eliminate the Zionist presence from Palestine" - not for Israel to withdraw from areas taken by the Jewish state in 1948 or 1973.
Indeed, a call for Israel's destruction will be heralded on the Ninth of Av in Chicago, for anyone who wants to listen.
Most Jewish people whom this reporter meets in North America would rather not hear that message.
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David Bedein can be reached at bedein@thebulletin.us. His Web site is wwwIsraelBehindTheNews.com.

Articles for Tisha B'Av

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:32:22 GMT

OU.org - Tisha B'Av

http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/

Tisha B'Av - A Chronology of Destruction

http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/tishabav.html

Judaism 101: Tisha B'Av

http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayd.htm

Aish.com: Tisha B'Av & the Three Weeks

http://www.aish.com/holidays/tisha_bav_and_the_3_weeks/

My Jewish Learning: Tisha B'Av

http://myjewishlearning.com/holidays/TishaBav.htm

2- Tisha B'Av [Wikipedia.org]

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:12:44 GMT

2- Tisha B'Av

[edit] Services

The scroll of Eicha (Lamentations) is read in synagogue during the evening services. In addition, most of the morning is spent chanting or reading Kinnot, most bewailing the loss of the Temples and the subsequent persecutions, but many others referring to post-exile disasters. These later kinnot were composed by various poets (often prominent rabbis) who had either suffered in the events mentioned or relate received reports. Important kinnot were composed by Elazar ha-Kalir and Rabbi Judah ha-Levi. After the Holocaust, kinnot were composed by the German-born Rabbi Shimon Schwab (in 1959, at the request of Rabbi Joseph Breuer) and by Rabbi Solomon Halberstam, leader of the Bobov Hasidim (in 1984).

In many Sephardic congregations the Book of Job is read on the morning of Tisha B'Av.

[edit] History of the observance

In the long period which is reflected in Talmudic literature the observance of the Ninth Day of Av assumed a character of constantly growing sadness and asceticism. By the end of the second century or at the beginning of the third, the celebration of the day had lost much of its gloom. Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi was in favor of abolishing it altogether or, according to another version, of lessening its severity when the fast has been postponed from Saturday to Sunday (Talmud, Tractate Megillah 5b).

The growing strictness in the observance of mourning customs in connection with the Ninth Day of Av became pronounced in post-Talmudic times, and particularly in the darkest period of Jewish history, from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth.

Maimonides (twelfth century), in his Mishneh Torah, says that the restrictions as to the eating of meat and the drinking of wine refer only to the last meal before fasting on the Eighth Day of Av, if taken after noon, but before noon anything may be eaten (Hilchoth Ta'anith 5:8). Rabbi Moses of Coucy (thirteenth century) wrote that it is the universal custom to refrain from meat and wine during the whole day preceding the Ninth of Av (Sefer Mitzvoth ha-Gadol, Venice ed., Laws of Tishah B'Av, 249b). Rabbi Joseph Caro (sixteenth century) says some are accustomed to abstain from meat and wine from the beginning of the week in which the Ninth Day of Av falls; and still others abstain throughout the three weeks from the Seventeenth of Tammuz (Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chayim 551).

A gradual extension of prohibitions can be traced in the abstention from marrying at this season and in other signs of mourning. So Rabbi Moses of Coucy says that some do not use the tefillin ("phylacteries") on the Ninth Day of Av, a custom which later was universally observed (it is now postponed until the afternoon). In this manner all customs originally designated as marks of unusual piety finally became the rule for all.

[edit] In light of Israel's establishment

[edit] Orthodox Jewish view

Orthodox Jews believe that until the arrival of the Jewish Messiah, this day will continue to be observed as a fast; when the Messiah comes, it will become a great celebration. This notion is asserted on the basis of a passage in the Book of Zechariah (8:19) that foretells of the transformation of four fast days into joyous holidays.

According to the Orthodox-Mizrachi establishment, combat soldiers are absolved of fasting on Tisha B'Av on the basis that it can endanger their lives. The latest of such decrees were issued during the Second Lebanon War by leading Rabbinical authorities Israel's Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yona Metzger in tandem with the IDF's chief rabbi, Brigadier General Yisrael Weiss.^[7]

[edit] Conservative and Masorti view

The law committee of the Masorti Movement (Conservative Judaism in the United States) issued a responsum on the question "In our time do we still have to fast for the whole of Tish'a b'Av, seeing that our sovereign independence has been regained? May we reduce the outward signs of mourning and permit eating after the Minchah Service?" Two views were given:

Rabbi Theodore Friedman wrote that: "There is already an historical precedent in Megillat Ta'anit which stipulated days on which we may not fast because of salvation wrought for Israel. In our time we have been vouchsafed a great salvation in the establishment of the State... It therefore seems to us that this great historical turning point in Israel's history should be celebrated by not completing the fast on 9th Av, but concluding it after the midday Minchah."
Rabbi David Golinkin wrote,^[8] concluding "It is forbidden to fast only half the day on Tish'a b'Av for several reasons:
- we have demonstrated that during the period of the Second Temple they did fast on Tish'a b'Av...
- From the halakhic point of view this is not possible. Either we must fast on all four of the fasts [and Tisha b'Av] or on Tish'a b'Av alone...
- From the ideological point of view, we cannot yet say that we have reached the period of "peace". We should revert to the custom of the Ge'onim ... and fast the whole day on Tish'a b'Av and declare the other fast days to be voluntary and not compulsory."

Finally, Ismar Schorsch, former chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, wrote: "If Tisha b'Av commemorated only the destruction of the two Temples in 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., its capacity to appeal to the modern Jew would have vanished. Though it is true that both calamities threatened the very survival of the Jewish people, Conservative Jews no longer pray for the restoration of the sacrificial cult in Jerusalem. The verbal and musical worship of the synagogue surely represents a more edifying, humane and universal form of prayer. But early on, Tisha b'Av began to absorb the memory of other national disasters."^[9]

[edit] Reform Jewish view

The Reform Jewish view takes this idea still further: "Reform Judaism has never assigned a central religious role to the ancient Temple. Therefore, mourning the destruction of the Temple in such an elaborate fashion did not seem meaningful. More recently, in Reform Judaism Tishah B'Av has been transformed into a day to remember many Jewish tragedies that have occurred throughout history." ^[10]

[edit] Religious Zionist view

Since the re-establishment of a Jewish state and the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six-Day War, some religious Zionist leaders have contemplated whether Tisha B'Av is still relevant. Most rabbis, however, believe that it should be observed.^[11] Since Israel's unilateral disengagement from Gaza, initiated by former prime minister Ariel Sharon, right wing segments of the Religious Zionist community have begun to recite kinot to commemorate the expulsion of Jewish settlers from Gush Katif and northern Samaria on the day after Tisha B'Av, in 2005.^[12]

[edit] Secular view

Berl Katznelson, a leader of the Labor Zionist movement, criticized his party's youth movement for holding campfires on Tisha B'Av in 1936. He believed that even secular Jews could find some meaning in traditional observances.^[13] In Israel, most restaurants and places of entertainment are closed on the eve of Tisha B'Av and the following day. Establishments that break the law are subject to fines. Outside of Israel, the day is not observed by most secular Jews, as opposed to Yom Kippur, in which all but the most secular of Jews fast and go to synagogue.

[edit] Other traditions

Classical Jewish sources^[14] maintain that the Jewish Messiah will be born on Tisha B'Av, though many explain this idea metaphorically, as the hope for the Jewish Messiah was born on Tisha B'Av with the destruction of the Temple. ^[15]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ The First Temple's destruction began on the 7th of Av (2 Kings 25:8) and continued until the 10th (Jeremiah 52:12). The fire was lit on the afternoon of the 9th (Taanit 29a)
^ Telushkin, Joseph (1991). Jewish Literacy: Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History. William Morrow & Co, 656. ISBN 0-688-08506-7.
^ YUTOPIA - The Historical Meaning of Tish'a B'av (9 Av)
^ Donin, Hayim Halevy (1991). To Be a Jew. Basic Books, 264. ISBN 0-465-08632-2.
^ Donin, Hayim Halevy (1991). To Be a Jew. Basic Books, 265. ISBN 0-465-08632-2.
^ Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 125:6
^ Yedioth Soldiers Exempted From Tisha B'Av Fast
^ Proceedings of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement 1927-1970 - Volume III Ed. David Golinkin, The Rabbinical Assembly, Jerusalem, 1997. Responsa relating to this topic in this volume include Marriage during the Sefirah 1949; Restraint on Marriages During the Omer Days 1952; A Dvar Torah Suggested by Lab Baomer 1962; Weddings During the Three Weeks 1964; Weddings During the Three Weeks 1968.
^ http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/luminaries/monograph/schorsch_tishab1.shtml
^ URJ - Tishah BAV
^ Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies The Disengagement: Ben Meir, Yehudah. March 2005. An Ideological Crisis.
^ Machon Shilo Tisha B'Av: Special Gush Katif Kinna
^ MyJewishLearning.comSnitkoff, Ed. From Religious Idea to Secular Ideology
^ Jerusalem Talmud, Berachos 2:4;
^ Silberberg, Naftali. "Is it true that the Messiah will be born (or was born) on Tisha b'Av?". AskMoses.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.

[edit] External links

Shiurim on Tisha B'Av, at Yeshiva.org.il

Q&A on Tisha B'Av, at Yeshiva.org.il

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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisha_B%27Av"

Categories: Jewish fast days | Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temples

Hidden category: Wikipedia articles needing clarification

1- Tisha B'Av [Wikipedia.org]

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:10:11 GMT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tisha_B'Av

Tisha B'Av

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Tisha B'Av
Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, by Francesco Hayez
Official name	Hebrew: תשעה באב English: Ninth of Av
Observed by	Jews in Judaism
Type	Jewish
Significance	Mourning specifically for the destruction of the First & Second Temples in Jerusalem, and more generally for all calamities which have befallen the Jewish people
Date	9th day of Av (if a Sabbath, then the 10th of Av)
2007 date	sunset, July 23 – nightfall, July 24
2008 date	sunset, August 9 – nightfall, August 10
2009 date	sunset, July 29 – nightfall, July 30
Observances	Fasting, prayer
Related to	The fasts of the Tenth of Tevet and the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the Three Weeks & the Nine Days

Tisha B'Av (Hebrew: תשעה באב or ט׳ באב, "the Ninth of Av,") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which occurred about 656 years apart, but on the same date.^[1] Accordingly, the day has been called the "saddest day in Jewish history".^[2]

Tisha B'Av falls in July or August in the Gregorian calendar. When the ninth of Av falls on the Sabbath, the observance is pushed off until Sunday the tenth (although that day is still referred to as Tish`ah be-Av). According to the Mishnah (Taanit 4:6), five specific events occurred on the ninth of Av that warrant fasting: the destruction of the Temples, as well as the return of the twelve scouts sent by Moses to observe the land of Canaan, the razing of Jerusalem following the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE, and the failure of Bar Kokhba's revolt against the Roman Empire.

The Tisha B'Av fast lasts about 25 hours, beginning at sunset on the eve of Tisha B'Av and ending at nightfall the next day. In addition to the prohibitions against eating or drinking, observant Jews also observe prohibitions against washing or bathing, applying creams or oils, wearing leather shoes, or having sexual relations (also displaying physical affection). In addition, mourning customs similar to those applicable to the shiva period immediately following the death of a close relative are traditionally followed for at least part of the day, including sitting on low stools, refraining from work, and not greeting others.

The Book of Lamentations is traditionally read at both the evening and morning services, followed by a series of liturgical lamentations called Kinnot. In Sephardic communities, it is also customary to read the Book of Job.

History

[edit] Destruction of the Temple

The fast commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

In connection with the fall of Jerusalem, three other fast-days were established at the same time as the Ninth Day of Av: these were the Tenth of Tevet, when the siege began; the Seventeenth of Tammuz, when the first breach was made in the wall; and the Third of Tishrei, known as the Fast of Gedaliah, the day when Gedaliah was assassinated (II Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 41:2).

From Zechariah 7:5, 8:19 it appears that after the building of the Second Temple the custom of keeping these fast-days was temporarily discontinued. Since the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Second Temple by the Romans, the four fast-days have again been observed.^[clarify]

[edit] The five calamities

According to the Mishnah (Taanit 4:6), five specific events occurred on the ninth of Av that warrant fasting:

The twelve scouts sent by Moses to observe the land of Canaan returned from their mission. Two of the scouts, Joshua and Caleb, brought a positive report, but the others spoke disparagingly about the land which caused the Children of Israel to cry, panic and despair of ever entering the "Promised Land". For this, they were punished by God that their generation would not enter the land. Because of the Israelites' lack of faith, God decreed that for all generations this date would become one of crying and misfortune for their descendants, the Jewish people. (See Numbers Ch. 13–14)
The First Temple built by King Solomon and the Kingdom of Judah were destroyed by the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE and the Judeans were sent into the Babylonian exile.
The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, scattering the people of Judea and commencing the Jewish exile from the Holy Land.
Bar Kokhba's revolt against Rome failed in 135 CE. Simon bar Kokhba was killed, and the city of Betar was destroyed.
Following the Roman siege of Jerusalem, the razing of Jerusalem occurred the next year.

According to the Talmud in tractate Taanit, the destruction of the Second Temple began on the ninth and was finally consumed by the flames the next day on the Tenth of Av.

[edit] Other calamities

Over time, Tisha B'Av has come to be a Jewish day of mourning, not only for these pre-Talmudic events, but also for later tragedies. There is a custom of assigning Tisha B'Av as the date on which wars affecting Jews began or expulsions and persecutions of Jews occurred, although this dating is not always historically accurate.^[3] Regardless of the exact dates of these events, for many Jews, Tisha B'Av is the designated day of mourning for them, and these themes are reflected in liturgy composed for this day (see below).

Other calamities that fell on Tisha B'Av:
The Spanish Inquisition culminated with the expulsion of Jews from Spain on Tisha B'Av in 1492.

World War One broke out on the eve of Tisha B'Av in 1914 when Germany declared war on Russia. German resentment from the war set the stage for the Holocaust.

On the eve of Tisha B'Av 1942, the mass deportation began of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, en route to Treblinka.

[edit] Customs

[edit] Restrictions

[edit] The main prohibitions associated with fasting

Tisha B'Av is a fast day similar to Yom Kippur. While most other fasts on the Hebrew calendar only last from dawn to nightfall, the Tisha B'Av fast lasts about 25 hours, beginning at sunset on the eve of Tisha B'Av and ending at nightfall the next day. Tisha B'Av also shares four additional prohibitions with Yom Kippur:

The five main prohibitions on Tisha B'Av are:

No eating or drinking
No washing or bathing
No application of creams or oils
No wearing of leather shoes
No sexual relations or displays of physical affection

These restrictions are waived in the case of health issues. For example, those who are seriously ill may eat and drink, in contrast to Yom Kippur, when eating and drinking is allowed only in cases of life-threatening need. (On other fast days almost any medical condition may justify breaking the fast; in practice, since many cases differ, consultation with a rabbi is often necessary.) Ritual washing up to the knuckles is permitted. Washing to cleanse dirt or mud from one's body is also permitted.

[edit] Additional customs associated with mourning

Torah study is forbidden on Tisha B'av (as it is considered an enjoyable activity), except for sad texts such as the Book of Lamentations, the Book of Job, portions of Jeremiah and chapters of the Talmud that discuss the laws of mourning.^[4]

From the meal immediately before the fast (seudah hamafseket) until noon the next day, it is customary to sit on low stools or on the floor, as is done during shiva. If possible, work is avoided during this period. Electric lighting may be turned off or dimmed, and kinot recited by candle-light. Some sleep on the floor or modify their normal sleeping routine, by sleeping without a pillow, for instance. People refrain from greeting each other or sending gifts on this day. Old prayerbooks and Torahs are often buried on this day.

[edit] Customs during the days preceding and following Tisha B'av

The days leading up to Tisha B'Av are known as The Nine Days. Orthodox Jews refrain from eating meat during all or part of this period, and some refrain from pleasurable activities such as going to music concerts or swimming. In the three weeks before Tisha B'Av, some Jews do not cut their hair or shave. Weddings are not held during this period.

Although the fast ends at nightfall, it is customary to refrain from eating meat and drinking wine until noon of the following day. According to tradition, the Temple burned all night and most of the day of the tenth of Av.^[5]

When Tisha B'Av begins on Saturday night, the havdalah ritual at the end of the Sabbath is truncated (using a candle but no spices), without a blessing over wine. After Tisha B'Av ends on Sunday evening, another havdalah is performed with wine (without candle or spices).^[6]

The laws of Tisha B'Av are recorded in the Shulkhan Arukh (the "Code of Jewish Law") Orach Chayim 552-557.

[OU.org] THE NINTH OF AV

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:01:21 GMT

http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/tishabav.html

Tisha B'Av - The "ninth day" in the Jewish month of Av, which starts at sundown on the eighth day and concludes at sundown on the ninth day of Av. This is the day when the intensity of the entire three week mourning period reaches its peak (keep reading below for details and use our entire Tisha B'Av Resource Center to learn more).

HISTORY:

According to our sages, many tragic events occurred to our ancestors on this day:

1. The sin of the spies caused Hashem to decree that the Children of Israel who left Egypt would not be permitted to enter the land of Israel;

2. The first Temple was destroyed;

3. The second Temple was destroyed;

4. Betar, the last fortress to hold out against the Romans during the Bar Kochba revolt in the year 135, fell, sealing the fate of the Jewish people.

5. One year after the fall of Betar, the Temple area was plowed.

6. In 1492, King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree, setting Tisha B'Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil.

7. World War I – which began the downward slide to the Holocaust – began on Tisha B’av.

Prohibitions:

The prohibitions on Tisha B'Av itself are similar to those of Yom Kippur. In addition to not eating or drinking, we are not allowed to wash, anoint oneself or wear leather shoes. In a prohibition more stringent than on Yom Kippur, we are only allowed to study certain portions of the Torah and Talmud on Tisha B'Av.

OBSERVANCES:

The observance of Tisha B'Av begins with the Seudah HaMafseket, the last meal before the fast commences.

NOTE: During years when the fast starts on Saturday night we do not have a seuda HaMafseket.

Unlike the elaborate feast we have before Yom Kippur, this meal is typically one course, usually consisting of a hard-boiled egg and some bread. Also, this meal is generally not eaten with others to avoid having a Zimmun (quorum for public blessing) at Birchat HaMazon. Zimmun indicates permanence, habit and durability. We avoid the Zimmun because we’d prefer not to make this mournful meal a recurring experience. It is customary to eat this meal seated on the floor or a low stool.

Until Mincha on Tisha B'Av one should try to avoid sitting on a chair or bench. Instead, the custom is to stand or sit on the floor, just like a mourner during the Shiva (traditional seven days of mourning a loved one).
Beginning at Mincha sitting on chairs is permitted, and we reduce the intensity of the grief that has pervaded us so far. Also, men put on Tefillin and recite those Tefillot that were omitted at Shacharit.
It is forbidden to greet friends or acquaintances on Tisha B'Av. However, if greeted first, one should answer, but in a low tone in order not to arouse resentment.
At the evening Ma'ariv service, the entire congregation sits on the floor and recites the Book of Eicha (Lamentations) where the prophet Jeremiah weeps the destruction, and we weep with him.
The morning of Tisha B'Av is the saddest part of the day. We recite Kinot, and the men do not don Tefillin at Shacharit, because Tefillin are called "Pe-ar," "Glory," and this is definitely not a day of glory for the Jewish People.

Our sages teach that whoever mourns over Jerusalem will merit the future vision of her joy. As it is written in Isaiah (Chapter 66, verse 10), "rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn her."

MORE BACKGROUND:

Shiva Asar B'Tammuz

Five disasters occurred on Shivah Asar B'Tammuz:

1. Moshe descended from Mount Sinai, discovered the people worshipping the golden calf, and broke the luchot;

2. During the siege of Jerusalem before the destruction of the first Temple the daily offering, was suspended because the Kohanim (who had fortified themselves inside the Temple) could not get any more sheep for the sacrifice.

3. In the year 70, the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the second Temple;

4. Apustumus the wicked burned a Torah Scroll; and

5. The Romans set up an idol in the courtyard of the Temple.

The Three Weeks

This period of time is known as Bein HaM'Tzarim, "between the straits", because it says in Eicha (Chapter 1, verse 3): "and her pursuers overtook her between the straits", referring to the calamitous events that befell the Jewish people between Shivah Asar B'Tammuz and Tisha B'Av. (Some of the prohibitions and customs we observe during this period are mentioned here. For specific questions contact a Rabbi.)

Visiting cinemas, theaters, concert halls or any other place where there is public entertainment is strictly prohibited.

With the exception of socks and undergarments, new clothes should not be purchased.

Haircuts are forbidden. According to some authorities, men who shave daily for business reasons may shave during this period.

The Nine Days

The intensity of the three week mourning period increases with the onset of Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av. So, in addition to those items mentioned below, during the days between Rosh Chodesh and Tisha B'Av, we are prohibited from:

Building or performing alterations in one’s home, unless the work is important repair work. This prohibition includes painting, wall papering and other forms of home decorations.
Eating meat or drinking wine, except on Shabbat.
Giving clothing to or getting clothing back from the cleaners or doing laundry. Children’s clothing, especially babies and infants, may be cleaned during this period. Also, this restriction doesn’t apply to clothing warn directly against the body which requires frequent changing.
Weaving, knitting and needle craft work, with the exception of repairing torn clothing, is prohibited during this period.
Swimming and bathing for pleasure is prohibited. Taking a bath or shower for hygiene purposes is permitted. Children in camp may go swimming during the instructional swim period. Visiting a Mikveh when necessary is permitted.
The Shabbat before Tisha B'Av is called Shabbat Chazon because the Haftorah that morning begins with the word Chazon.

[Terre d'Israel Le 9 Av nous commémorons la destruction du Temple]

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:07:04 GMT

http://www.terredisrael.com/Destruction-Temple.php

Le 9 Av nous commémorons la destruction du Temple

La journée du 9 Av (ticheâ bé av) commémore la destruction du 1er Temple il y a 2587 ans (-586) et la destruction du second Temple il y a 1931 ans environ (vers 68 ou 70).

La veille de ticheâ bé av
Avant la tombée de la nuit, il est habituel de prendre un dernier repas avant le jeûne appelé « repas de cessation ». Il est interdit de servir dans ce repas deux plats cuisinés. La coutume est de consommer un plat de lentilles ou un œuf dur, ces deux plats étant un symbole de deuil. On peut compléter par du pain, des laitages, des légumes crus et des fruits. Certaines personnes ont l’habitude de tremper le pain dans de la cendre.

Ce dernier repas est pris en étant assis par terre ou sur un tabouret de moins de 30 cm de hauteur, comme c’est le cas pour les personnes en deuil. On ne retire pas encore les chaussures de cuir pour ce repas, mais on le fait à la tombée de la nuit. Il est permis de manger et de boire tant qu’il fait encore jour.

En cette veille du 9 Av, le parvis du Kotel (Mur occidental) est bondé. En effet le peuple juif commémore à cette date, la destruction du Temple par un jeûne et des prières, et les fidèles ont l'habitude de venir se recueillir devant ce dernier vestige.

Les abstinences de ticheâ bé av
Il est interdit de prendre toute nourriture ou boisson, de se laver, de porter des chaussures de cuir et d’avoir des relations intimes. Ces interdictions s’appliquent dès le coucher du soleil et jusqu’à la tombée de la nuit après le jeûne. Les enfants, les malades et les femmes enceintes sont dispensés de jeûne.
Le jour du 9 Av n’est pas férié ; il est cependant recommandé d’éviter tout travail absorbant.

Sous la domination romaine (63 av - 313 ap)

Lorsque les Romains, devenus la grande puissance de la région, succédèrent aux Séleucides, ils accordèrent au roi asmonéen régnant, Hyrcan II, une autorité limitée, sous le contrôle du gouverneur romain de Damas. Les juifs, hostiles au nouveau régime, multiplièrent les insurrections au cours des années suivantes. C'est Mattathias Antigone qui fit la dernière tentative de restaurer la gloire de la dynastie asmonéenne. Sa défaite et sa mort mirent fin au régime des Asmonéens (40 av.) et le pays devint une province de l'Empire romain.

En 37 av., Hérode, gendre d'Hyrcan II, fut nommé roi de Judée par les Romains. Jouissant d'une autonomie quasi illimitée pour les affaires intérieures du pays, il devint l'un des monarques les plus puissants de la partie orientale de l'Empire romain. Grand admirateur de la culture gréco-romaine, Hérode lança un vaste programme de construction comprenant les villes de Césarée et Sébastia et les forteresses d'Hérodion et de Massada.

Il restaura également le Temple et en fit l'un des édifices les plus magnifiques de l'époque. Mais en dépit de toutes ses réalisations, Hérode ne parvint pas à gagner la confiance et le soutien de ses sujets juifs.

Dix ans après la mort d'Hérode (4 av.), la Judée passa sous administration romaine directe. La colère croissante contre la suppression systématique de la vie juive dégénéra en violences sporadiques qui culminèrent dans une révolte de grande envergure en l'an 66 de l'ère chrétienne. Des forces romaines supérieures menées par Titus finirent par l'emporter, rasant Jérusalem (an 70) et réduisant le dernier bastion de Massada (an 73).

La Temple hérodien d'après la maquette du Second Temple de Jérusalem

La destruction du Temple

Jérusalem, capitale de l'ancien royaume de Judée, est mise à sac par l'armée romaine le 8 septembre de l'an 70 (*), après un siège atroce de deux ans.

Un roi cruel
Profitant des divisions entre les juifs, le général romain Pompée a conquis la Samarie et la Judée en 63 avant J-C. Un protégé des Romains, Hérode, en profite pour liquider la dynastie des Asmonéens et devenir roi de Judée (ou pays des Juifs) en l'an -37.

De cet homme célèbre pour sa cruauté et son absence de scrupules, l'empereur romain Auguste aurait dit : «Mieux vaut être le porc d'Hérode que son fils»... Hérode le Grand partage son royaume entre trois de ses fils, avant de mourir en l'an 4 de notre ère.

Sa dynastie s'arrête là. En l'an 6, l'empereur Auguste transforme la Judée en une province romaine gouvernée par un simple procurateur.

Première guerre juive
Décontenancés par les croyances monothéistes des habitants, les Romains laissent ceux-ci libres de s'organiser comme ils l'entendent sous l'autorité de leur Tribunal religieux, le Sanhédrin. Mais les Juifs ne manquent pas de se quereller et de se diviser sur la conduite à tenir vis-à-vis de l'occupant.

Les grands prêtres et le parti des Pharisiens s'accommodent de l'occupation étrangère tandis que dans les milieux populaires, la secte des Zélotes appelle à la résistance et veut hâter la réalisation des promesses divines.

Les Zélotes déclenchent une violente révolte en août 66. Ils massacrent les grands prêtres et s'emparent de Jérusalem. Mais les Romains, sous la direction du général Vespasien, mènent la reconquête avec détermination.

Vespasien étant devenu empereur, c'est à son fils Titus qu'il revient d'achever le siège de Jérusalem. Il ne s'agit pas d'une mince affaire car la population de la ville s'élève déjà à cette époque à environ 80.000 habitants. Les habitants sont déportés comme esclaves cependant que le Temple, haut lieu de la religion juive, est complètement détruit (à l'exception d'un pan du mur d'enceinte, le futur «Mur des Lamentations»).

Le vainqueur, Titus, rentre à Rome où il reçoit un magnifique triomphe. Un arc est bâti en souvenir de ce triomphe à l'entrée des forums romains.

Ses bas-reliefs relatent les exploits des Romains en Judée et notamment le pillage des trésors du Temple, en particulier un fameux chandelier sacré à sept branches, la Ménorah (ce chandelier disparaît en 455 suite au pillage de Rome par les Vandales de Genséric).

Sur une des fresques de l'arc de Titus, l'on peut apercevoir des Romains porter la Ménora, le chandelier à sept branches des Hébreux. Il s'agit d'un des trésors trouvés dans le temple de Jérusalem et rapportés à Rome.

La destruction de Jérusalem et du Temple ne met cependant pas fin à la première guerre juive...
Au-dessus de la Mer Morte, la forteresse de Massada continue de résister sous la direction d'un chef zélote, Éleazar...

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