The following items were submitted by readers and will hopefully be meaningful to all.
Whoever mourns the destruction of Jerusalem will merit seeing its rejoicing.
Talmud Bava Basra 60b
There was once a girl who was davening at the kosel on Tisha B'Av and crying.
Her friends asked her what she was crying about. They wondered what she really felt.
She replied that she was crying because she didn't know what she should be crying about. She didn't know what to feel.
Today, we are so lost; we don't even know what we're missing.
Taken from www.Divreichizuk.com
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A brief listing of infamous events that took place on Tisha B'Av throughout history. By Rabbi Mordechai Becher at Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu
Hebrew Year
Common Year
Event
2448 (1312) Spies return from 40 days in Israel with evil reports of the Land of Israel. Jewish people cry in despair, give up hope of entering the Land of Israel.
3340 (421) Destruction of First Temple by the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezar. About 100,000 Jews killed during invasion. Exile of remaining tribes in southern kingdom to Babylon and Persia.
3830 70 Destruction of Second Temple by Romans, under Titus. Over 2,500,000 Jews die as a result of war, famine and disease. Over 1,000,000 Jews exiled to all parts of the Roman Empire. Over 100,000 Jews sold as slaves by Romans. Jews killed and tortured in gladiatorial "games" and pagan celebrations.
3892 132 Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Betar destroyed - over 100,00 killed.
3893 133 Turnus Rufus ploughs site of Temple. Romans build pagan city of Aelia Capitolina on site of Jerusalem.
4855 1095 First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in first month of Crusade. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews, totally obliterate many communities in Rhineland and France.
5050 1290 Expulsion of Jews from England, accompanied by pogroms and confiscation of books and property.
5252 1492 Inquisition in Spain and Portugal culminates in the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. Families separated, many die by drowning, massive loss of property.
5674 1914 Britain and Russia declare war on Germany. First World War begins. First World War issues unresolved, ultimately causing Second World War and Holocaust. 75% of all Jews in war zones. Jews in armies of all sides - 120,000 Jewish casualties in armies. Over 400 pogroms immediately following war in Hungary, Ukraine, Poland and Russia.
5702 1942 Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp begin.
5749 1989 Iraq walks out of talks with Kuwait.
5754 1994 The deadly bombing the building of the AMIA (the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina) which killed 86 people and wounded some 300 others.
Submitted by daily reader, R.C.
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The following is from the Daily Vort email. To sign up send request to dailyvort@gmail.com
On the ninth of Av terrible catastrophes befell the Jewish nation.
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (121:5) speaks about it, here it is in a shorter form:
The spies sent by Moshe had returned (with a bad report of the land) and this caused the Jews to weep in vain on that night. It was therefore decreed on our forefathers that they would not enter the land. It was also decreed that this day would always be a day of weeping for the Jewish nation. On this day both the first and second Temples were destroyed, and the town of Betar was captured and tens of thousands of Jews were killed, and Turnus Rufus plowed the area of the temple and its environs, fulfilling the verse in Yirmeyahu: "Zion shall be plowed like a field".
These tragedies profoundly influenced all future generations, because when the Temple was destroyed we lost our greatest fount of spirituality. The laws of mourning that we observe on Tish'ah b'Av are accompanied by a longing for the Temple to be rebuilt and for the Final Redemption to take place speedily in our times. We need and await this redemption more then ever now with all the recent tragedies, and we are left orphaned without Maran Rav Elyashiv ZT"L. May we speedily have the Final Redemption!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: There are 3 exiles: The exile of the Jews among the nations, the Jew in exile among his fellow Jews,and the man in exile with himself.
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Do you want the Bais Hamikdash rebuilt?
Really?
I don't believe you.
Do you cry during V'leerushalayim in sh'mone esrei? If you really want the bais hamikdash and the Shechina to come back, why not? Don't just go to lectures and hear speakers on Tisha B'Av. Focus on the tragedy and think about what we are missing.
Imagine you chas v'shalom lost those dearest to you. Wouldn't you cry uncontrollably? We are living in a world void of the Shechina; what bigger tragedy is there? We know that in each generation the Holy Temple isn't rebuilt, it's as if it was destroyed in that generation. What are YOU doing to help ensure it gets rebuilt?
Those who mourn over the destruction of Jerusalem will merit to see it rebuilt. Do you cry at funerals? Did you cry when you heard about the terrible tragedies of recent past? Imagine being taken out of your home and being thrown into a ghetto, overcrowded beyond your imagination. The Shechina is now homeless, living in an unbearable exile. How can you not cry?
Instead of just listening to speakers and words this entire Tish'a b'Av, take at least a few moments to think alone; reflect on the reality of the situation. If only we would really show remorse and pray with fervor, H-Sh-m would redeem us INSTANTLY. Go to a private room and cry, at least for some time, during this saddest day of the year. Read the last chapter of Eicha to yourself, very slowly and solemnly, with the proper tune if you know it.
Why are there so many tragedies in Klal Yisroe, wherever you look?
Why are so many young people dying?
Why were six million Jews murdered by the nazis?
Babies were taken out of mothers' arms, only to be thrown up and shot, like a game. Why?
Why were people forced to drink their own urine?
Many were placed into ovens to be burned alive. Countless were led into shower rooms, ready to finally wash and clean themselves, only to be murdered with poisonous gas. Why?
Why did mothers eat their own children to survive?
Why was Rabbi Akiva's skin flayed with iron combs?
Why were children taken, only to use their blood for a bath?
Cry this Tish'a b'Av over all of our tragedies.
Daven with intent and feeling; don't let any prayer this day finish without shedding tears. We are all responsible for one another and if these tragedies happened, we are to blame.
Cry to counteract our needless crying thousands of years ago.
Beg H-Sh-m not to give us more reasons to cry.
Make this Tish'a b'Av different. Do you really want all the suffering to end?
Do you really want to rejoice in Jerusalem NOW?
Do you want to feel G-d's Presence among us again?
PROVE IT.
CRY.
Submitted by daily reader, C.M.
When we daven, we make sure to ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu for all the things that we need, we put our trust in him. But there is one thing we seem to miss, the concept of OL MALCHUS SHAMAIM, of accepting Hashems yolk on us, of accepting Hashem's will before our own will, and desiring to turn my will INTO Hashems will, making it one in the same.
When we daven we tend to ask for the beis Hamikdash as a side point. We first ask Hashem to fulfill our own will, then we go on to say "and by the way, Hashem, rebuild the Beis Hamikdash"..
Hashem wants the Beis Hamikdash for us. This is His will for us. And while it is difficult to connect to the rebuilding more than our every day needs, we must remind ourselves, this is Hashems will for me.
Reminding ourselves of the love that we have for Hashem, will remind us of why we want the Beis Hamikdash to be rebuilt. We want Hashem's will to be fulfilled more than what we think we need.
Let us not forget that the sadness we feel during Av is due to our Chataim, and disconnection from Hashem Yisborach. And that every Tisha B'Av that goes by is another reminder than we have not successfully rebuilt the Beis Hamikdash.
Please Hashem, let us focus on a complete teshuva, and our strongest desires should be to be Ol Malchus Shamaim, and BEG Hashem wholeheartedly for the Beis Hamikdash, B'Mheira B'yameinu.
Have an IMPACTING and EMPOWERING Tisha B'Av.
Submitted by daily reader, S.K.E.; inspired by Rabbi Altman
Question:
Is it proper to serve Hashem with Simcha when other people are suffering Tzaros?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
A man must have the ability to departmentalize his mind. I'll give an example. Just recently we had Tisha B'av; we sat on the ground and we wept for the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. We wept Al Bais Yisroel, V'al Am Hashem Shenuflu Ba'cherev.
Soon after that came Chamisha Asar B'ov, we didn't say Tachanun. Lo Hoyu Yomim Tovim L'Yisroel K'Chamisha Asar B'av. This year it came so soon, that it seems to us, no time in between?
The answer is, that's our job in life. We don't have any emotions of our own; we feel with emotions of the Torah. Eis Lakol, there's a time for everything; there's a time to mourn and a time to rejoice. And therefore when we think of other people's misfortunes, we should sympathize with them, no question. But it doesn't mean that when you have some good fortune in life, you shouldn't appreciate it. Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't want you to overlook the happiness He is giving to you. Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants you to appreciate, to enjoy it fully.
And as a result you will serve Him with a full heart, you'll be grateful and thanking Him. And therefore we have to have a mind that's capable of both, even at the time that you're rejoicing, if you'll remind yourself of your fellow-man's misfortunes, you'll feel for him, but that won't stop you from dancing at your daughter's wedding. And therefore even the person who is mourning for the Churban Bais Hamikdash, and for the sadness of the multitudes that perished by persecution, nevertheless even then he shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave him garments, makes a Brocho Malbish Arumin even on Tisha B'av. He makes a Brocho for a belt, Ozer Yisroel B'gevurah, even on Tisha B'av. He makes a Brocho on the ability to walk, Hameichin Mitzadei Gover.
All the benefits that we enjoy in life, we still enjoy on Tisha B'av. So you see even on the same day that you're sitting and mourning, even on that day you're cognizant of the happiness that Hashem gives you. You can't make a Brocho for nothing; it means you are happy with these things, only you demonstrate sadness today. On another day, you demonstrate on Simchas Torah, you demonstrate joy, but always both qualities must be in the mind.
And that's how a Jew has to be. A Jew can not be one thing, if he's one thing, he's a cripple, one thing, you lost free will. A man who is alive has free will and he chooses constantly between this attitude and the other attitude and all the attitudes are true.
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QUESTION FROM A READER:
In life, we tend to follow the quote 'don't cry over spilled milk' , we try not to sulk in our past miseries....why when it comes to mourn for the bais hamikdash, we gotta sulk for three whole weeks?
ANSWER:
Very good question.
And the answer is:
When one loses a loved one, they mourn for the proper amount of time and then move on, and in fact it's against halacha to mourn endlessly for a loved one.
The reason for this is that it is not in our hands to control if someone passes away or not; it is the will of Hashem that that person made the transition from this world to the next, and too much mourning risks seeming like we don't accept Hashem's judgement.
HOWEVER, Chazal teach us that each generation that doesnt merit to have the Bais Hamikdash rebuilt in their time is as if it was [newly] destroyed in their time!
Thus, when it comes to mourning for the Bais Hamikdash, we arent mourning over a 2,000 year old loss. We are mourning a fresh loss. A loss that is newly painful to each and every Jew as if it just happened. Thus, we arent mourning a building that was burned down way back when, rather we are mourning our disconnect from Hashem today. We are mourning our lack of closeness to Hashem today. We are mourning the tragedies of today which are all an extension of the Churban that began 2,000 years ago.
We are crying for a loss that WAS and IS in our hands to reverse. It is Hashem's will that we reverse the churban. It isnt "spilled milk". It isn't a "past misery"
May this Tisha B'Av be our last one spent in mourning and may we all finally do our part to ensure the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash Hashlishi and an end to all the Tzaros of Klal Yisroel.
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The following question was sent in to and answered by my dear friend, R' Eli Nasson Shlita of www.DivreiChizuk.com
Question:
It's the 3 weeks again, Tisha b'Av is approaching and still no sign of Moshiach. The world continues on its seemingly chaotic path. It's all extremely discouraging and frustrating. Where is Moshiach?
Answer:
The real question is : How much do we want Moshiach? Are we praying for him to come as the Rambam writes in his commentary on the Mishnah, the Thirteen Articles of Faith.
We are living in a world of luxury/sheker. Do we feel that we are missing or are we so comfortable that we forget that this is Galus. How many more wake-up calls do we need to start feeling the pain of no Beis Hamikdash?
L'chvod / Dear Klal Yisroel, I am in middle of reading a wonderful book called From Dusk to Dawn (by Rabbi Zechariah Fendel, zt'l). It talks about the holocaust and the unbelievable kiddush Hashem that many showed as they were being led to their deaths and as they sang Ani Maamin, I believe with perfect faith in the coming of Moshiach and even though he should tarry, nevertheless, I will await him him every day for he will come.
Hashem knows what He is doing. In the meantime He wants us to have faith, work on ourselves to be better people, and run to Him. Understand that there is only Hashem.
Ein Od Milvado!!!!!!
Say to Hashem now:
'Please Hashem send us Mashiach take us out of this galus it has been so long.We are so lost, please Father bring us HOME'!!!!
Are you packed and ready to go?
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Important Numbers
