The saddest Jewish holiday – Tisha B’Av

The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av is known as Tisha B’Av. It begins at sunset on the eighth of Av and ends at sunset on the ninth. It has come to be known as the saddest day on the Hebrew calendar.

Throughout Jewish history, the 9th of Av has been recognized as a day of tragedy. Many terrible events occurred or began on this day in history, including the destruction of the First (586 B.C.) and Second Temples (516 B.C.), the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (A.D. 70, ), the start of the Spanish Inquisition (1492) and the start of World War I (1914), which foreshadowed the events leading up to the Holocaust. During the First Crusade, 10,000 Jews were killed on Tisha B’Av (1095). In 1290, the Jews were expelled from England on Tisha B’Av. It is also said to be the day Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and found his people worshiping idols. During the Holocaust, deportations from the Warsaw ghetto to the Treblinka Nazi death camp began on Tisha B’Av (1942). More recently, the deadly bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires occurred on Tisha B’Av (1994).

In addition to fasting on Tisha B’Av, observing Jews refrain from washing, working, drinking, using electricity, shopping, and having sex. Jews mark the day as they would during a shiva, the Jewish period of mourning. Torah study is prohibited and Jews often bury old and damaged prayer books on this day. Many Jews sit on low stools or sleep on the floor. They refrain from greeting visitors and reading the Eicha (Lamentations) scroll. During the three weeks before this holiday, Jews are prohibited from marrying. This period of mourning begins with another day of fasting, on Tammuz 17, when the walls of the Second Temple in Jerusalem were breached in 70 CE.

Orthodox Jews believe that Tisha B’Av will remain a day of mourning until the messiah arrives and the temple is rebuilt. At that time, it will become a day of celebration forever. Although Reform Judaism has never attached this kind of meaning to the destruction of the temple, Tisha B’Av is still observed as a day to remember Jewish tragedies.

While Tisha B’Av is observed by Jews by looking back on the calendar, the holiday may have significant contemporary significance. When they fast, Jews can understand the pain and suffering of destitute people around the world. This achievement can be turned into compassion and charity. Having been victims of genocide many times in the past, Jews can use this holiday as a time to help contemporary victims of ethnic, religious, racial and gender persecution. Jews can also realize how lucky they are compared to their ancestors. Although antisemitism is on the rise today, Jews are not persecuted to the same extent as they have been throughout history.

Coming to terms with disaster is never easy. No race or religion has had more historical experience with disaster than the Hebrew people. Repeatedly, Jews have been conquered, enslaved, massacred, tortured, and expelled. Somehow, despite all the efforts to destroy this tiny religion, the Jews found a way to survive and even thrive. The Jewish people found a way to turn disaster into survival and survival into a new nation, rebuilt on the crumbling rocks of the ancient Jewish kingdoms of David and Saul.

More than 2,000 years have passed since the destruction of the temples in ancient Israel. During that time millions of Jews have been massacred by the Greeks, the Romans, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust. Despite the indignity of the historical perspective, the Jews continue to exist. They worship the same God, recite the same prayers, observe the same festivals, and perform the same rites and rituals as their brave ancient ancestors. This amazing chronicle of survival may be one of the greatest legends in human history.

Although Tisha B’Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, it can also be considered, through careful reflection, a day of thanksgiving for the survival of the Jewish people. Despite civilization’s persistent attempts to destroy the Jews, this tiny, persistent religion has found a way to survive, thrive, and contribute to the cultures of countless societies. In this sense, Tisha B’Av can also be observed as a day to give thanks for the resilience of the “chosen people.” Always hunted, never destroyed; The Jewish people advance through history, relentlessly, undeterred and always grateful for the influence of their ancestors.