Today is the first day of the Jewish month of Av. Historically the next nine days, culminating with the fast of the ninth day of Av (Tisha BAv) have been challenging times for our people. The Talmud tells us that during these nine days we limit our enjoyment of life. For example the custom is not to eat meat, drink wine, (except on Shabbat) and other restrictions during this time. Five things happened to our ancestors on Tishah B’Av: 1. It was decreed upon our ancestors not to enter the Land of Israel in the time of Moses. 2. The First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. 3. And the Second Temple was also destroyed 4. The city of Beitar was captured. 5. Jerusalem was plowed over. Later in history it was also on Tishah B’Av, on 18 July 1290, that King Edward I signed the edict whereby all Jews were banished from England – in which they had lived for two hundred years. This was the first time in European history that a Jewish community had been expelled in its entirety. Rabbi Don Isaac Abarbanel gives a first hand account of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain which took place on July 30, 1492, which again was Tisha BAv; And the King of Spain decreed that all the Jews in his kingdom would be expelled or killed in three months; and the day the Jews left was the Ninth of Av, 1492. The Spanish King did not know the significance of that day; it was if the date had been determined in Heaven. All these calamities have one thing in common, they all involve us being exiled from one country or another. Exile means division among our people. One of the main causes of divisiveness is people speaking badly against each other, which in Hebrew is called Lashon Harah or evil speech. Before every episode of family disunity, community division or war between countries, Lashon Harah, or gossip, in the form of defaming talk, is at the root. Jewish thought is very clear about the misuse of the power of speech being one of the key reasons for all of our problems. Watching what you speak about, how you say it and who you say it to, may help us make these days a little less bitter.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:03:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015