Thoughts for Tisha b’Av

Posted on August 8, 2008
Filed Under Antisemitism, History, International, Israel, Israeli Left, Jerusalem, Jews, Liberalism, Middle East, Political lies, Racism, Science, Temple of Jerusalem, Terrorism, Tisha b'Av, Zionism, Zionist Entity, appeasement, defeatism, greed, judaism, killings, political corruption, political gestures, political ineptitude, politicians, politics, technology, violence | 1 Comment

Today is the 7th day of the month of Av, in the Hebrew calendar. We are in the midst of the three weeks that commemorate a slew of calamities in the history of the Jewish people starting with the Roman siege of Jerusalem. The three weeks end on the 9th day of Av- Tisha b’Av, with the last nine days representing the final assault on the Kingdom of Judea’s capital. On the 9th, both the First and the Second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed. Many other calamities throughout the lands of Europe befell the Jews on that 9th day, as well… Today, when the Jewish people are once again living in their own independent, sovereign country the lessons of Tisha b’Av still need to be learned, perhaps more so than ever before!

As long as the Jews were one – one people of one heart (am echad, belev echad) – they were invincible! When divisions, polemics and unwarranted hatred arose, when they splintered into factions, when the nation’s common goal suddenly stopped being common or even a goal… the Jews faltered. They no longer were invincible, the mightiest empires easily took them over and eventually dispersed them throughout the world. Even so, once those empires dissapeared the Jews – against all odds, against all logic, against all historic precedent – did not dissapear. Yes, the world repeatedly made sure their numbers were violently kept down. Many, unwilling to fight on, many tempted by the offers of the non-Jewish world, converted and became part and parcel of those who could potentially destroy or at least harass them… But… destroyed – these no-longer Jews were – spiritually if not physically.

Sack of the Second Temple depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of Titus in Rome.

Yet a core of Jews refused to give up their values, their national aspirations, their dreams, their history. But, have the Jews learned the lessons of Tisha b’Av? (Yes, I know the words sound like I stole another blog’s title on the same subject) Twice the stones (of the Temples) paid the price, when there were no stones left to destroy, when there was no kingdom of Jews to capture, the world just came up with reason after reason to kill them anyway… and yet… yet… they are still here.

The lessons of Tisha b’Av, learned or not, still apply. A friend from Israel sent me the following poem she wrote:

Return to Zion – An Ode for Tisha b’Av
Ilana bat Shlomo

Hear O’ Israel:
The sands of your Mediterranean shores
are fine;
Finer than my memories of them.
Your soul, alas —
Is not.

And Jerusalem too, feels less golden,
Somehow.
I don’t notice the greenery,
But the high rises and gray dust.

And my heart is saddened
By what I see about me.
I am torn; I don’t know why.
And yet, I know why.
It is a slow sadness.
Not unlike watching a handful of sand
Slowly washing away in the sea.

The tingle and the crash and the thunder;
The fire and splendor of your spirit —
I feel numbed and deaf to them;
Muted somehow,.
Your soul, alas,
Has dimmed.

I want to cry
Chazak, Chazak v’titchazki!
Arise O’Israel:
Arise!

Long held values, traditions and pride seem to be on the wane. Seduced by the material, many an Israeli left his/her spirituality by the wayside. And yet, Israel in spite of its tiny size, in spite of the small number of people, stands at the very pinnacle of science and technology. More books are published in that tiny sliver of land than throughout all the lands of Araby. More professionals, per capita, live in the Zionist Entity than almost anywhere else on earth. But… have the Jews learned the lessons of Tisha b’Av? Israel’s inept, corrupt, selfish politicians seem to know little and care even less about their historic mission. Greed seems to be the order of the day. Greed and world opinion are what drives these people, peace at any cost even that of total destruction is their apparent goal… Every “gesture” that was supposed to bring about a long fought for, a long dreamed of, peace only brought more Jewish blood, more gestures, more blood, more gestures… But I would not be fair were I not to blame all the Knesset members without exception. Their petty bickering, their caring for none but themselves (as opposed to caring for their country), their hesitation and inactions merely aided and abetted the bigger criminals. No, sadly, the lessons of Tisha b’Av still have not been learned!

Chaim

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Comments

One Response to “Thoughts for Tisha b’Av”

Sammy Benoit from New Jersey, United States on August 8th, 2008 10:09 pm

sadly, the lessons of Tisha b’Av still have not been learned!

Sadly you are right