On Monday Israeli archaeologists displayed a Roman legionnaire's sword and sheath discovered in an ancient drainage tunnel under Jerusalem last month. The weapon dates to around 70 C.E., when Rome put down a Jewish revolt slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Jews, destroying the Second Temple, and razing most of Jerusalem.
Today is Tisha B’av, a fast day. Without food and coffee I usually succumb to migraine. So I’m going to preserve my energy and post this summary from Judaism 101.
Note: There’s another great photo of an ancient Jewish artifact below the fold.
Tisha B’Av, the Fast of the Ninth of Av, is a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, many of which coincidentally have occurred on the ninth of Av.
Tisha B’Av means “the ninth (day) of Av.” It usually occurs during August.
Tisha B’Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which were destroyed on the ninth of Av (the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.; the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.).
Although this holiday is primarily meant to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, it is appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies of the Jewish people, many of which occurred on this day, most notably the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
The complete article is here.
Another recent archeological discovery in Jerusalem, a menora carved into rock. The artifacts are probably remnants from the Jewish revolt against Rome 2,000 years ago.
Elder of Ziyon shows how Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount, is today being desecrated by Arab-Muslim soccer enthusiasts.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a meaningful fast.
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
6 Comments
So how was your fast?
I’m only able to avoid caffeine withdrawal myself by cutting back a week before. Of course, that’s usually when the baby stops sleeping through the night…
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Alter:
Not a great fast. Got a caffeine headache pretty early in the day. But I survived. Again.
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Oy! May this be the last time we have to fast on Tish’a B’av.
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Alter:
Amen.
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You should have an easy fast.
As always – it seems to me that G-d’s Hand is shown in the world through what happens on Jewish holy days…
- Purim 1992: Saddam Hussein surrenders to President George Bush at Basra.
- Rosh Hoshana 2001: (the end of the Seven Year Cycle where the Land of Israel was supposed to have lain fallow for the previous year) – The Dow Jones makes its largest point drop in history.
- Purim 2002 – President George Bush declares war on Saddam Hussein.
- Rosh Hoshana 2008 (the end of the Seven Year Cycle where the Land of Israel was supposed to have lain fallow for the previous year) – The Dow Jones makes its largest point drop in history – making 2001 the Second largest point drop in history.
- Yom Kippur 2008 – - The Dow Jones makes its third largest point drop in history.
- The Three Weeks before Tisha B’av; The Nine Days before Tisha B’av – both periods of Peril and Warning leading up to the Ninth of Av, 2011: The Dow Jones and the entire stock market lose one fifth to one fourth of their entire value (approx. 2500 points for the Dow Jones); the World Economy teeters on the brink once more; London burns; and – 30 of our Bravest and Best Americans lose their lives to the Evil forces that they are fighting…
I do not know how these things fit together. But – they do happen…
There is one thing – the end of the 7 year cycle above is called the Shemittah Year, where the Land of Israel is to lie fallow and Jews are to rely on G-d for their sustenance.
When the markets crashed on Rosh Hoshana, which was the exact end of the Shemittah year in 2001 and 2008, I asked the question – what would happen if the Jews in the Land of Israel did not keep the Shemittah years (Israel is a very secular country) and ignored the Laws requiring them to rely on G-d for their sustenance and then, G-d destroyed the sustenance of the World… Would anyone notice?
Tisha B’av is the day where we are to remember that we are homeless.
No matter how wealthy; no matter how successful; no matter how assimilated; no matter that Israel is a Jewish State – Tisha B’av reminds us that with G-d’s Holy Temple, we are homeless.
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Moishe3rd:
Never thought of it as being homeless, but that’s a splendid vort. Thanks so much.
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