FROM THE DESK OF RABBI SANDBERG
rabbisandberg@bellsouth.net

From the Desk of Rabbi Sandberg…

SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT
This article is scheduled to appear in the July edition of the Jacksonville Jewish news. I am printing it here, in our Shofar, in order to make sure that all of our members see it and remember to attend Tisha B'Av services.

Here is a childhood memory, which I am sure is not unique. I was moping around the house, whining and crying. I do not remember
what the minor event was that touched-off this all too common childish behavior. My mother, exasperated by this continuing,
unwarranted crying finally admonished me "If you don't stop that now, I'll give you something to cry about!" The threat was never carried out, but the warning was sufficient to quiet me.

There is a similar story in the midrash, the Rabbinic stories based on the Biblical narrative. The people of Israel, during their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, had listened to the evil report of ten of the leaders who were sent out to scout the land of Canaan. When the people later tried to make an ill-advised attempt to go up to the land, they suffered a major defeat. They reacted by crying and moaning in their tents. The midrash recounts that God said to the People of Israel "You have cried over nothing, but I will now give you something to cry about forever (Bichyah L'dorot)." The date of this occurrence, the midrash tells us, was the ninth day of the month of Av. That date - Tisha B'Av - was the day on which, years later, that the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem were destroyed. Since that time, Jews have cried for that loss every year. God gave us something to cry about!

Tisha B'Av is a day of mourning that has been observed for centuries. Over the years, the rabbis associated other tragedies with this date. In the late 1600's there was an outbreak of messianic fever. Shabbetai Tzvi claimed to be the promised messiah who
would redeem all of Israel. He said that he was born on the 9th of Av. This day of tragedy was also seen, in the midrash, as the day when redemption would begin with the birth of the messiah. Shabbetai Tzvi declared that Tisha B'Av should be celebrated at a day of feasting and joy rather than mourning. It was not that long until Shabbetai Tzvi was shown to be a false messiah. (He converted to Islam!) Yet, many Jews still held out the hope that he was the true redeemer and for centuries, small groups secretly believed in this pretender. It was at this time that the observance of Tisha B'Av, with all of its strict laws on fasting and mourning, became a touchstone of Jewish belief. Anyone who did not observe all of the details of Tisha B'Av might be suspected of following the heretical beliefs of Shabbetai Tzvi.

In our time, there are many Jews who do not to observe this major day of fasting. Some do not even know of its existence because it occurs during the summer months, when many people are on vacation. There are reasons, now, (perhaps) to change our
attitude towards Tisha B'Av. As we know, the city of Jerusalem was reunited in June, 1967. It can be said that this event, along with the rebirth of the nation of Israel, can be seen as "reshit tzmichat g'ulatainu" - the beginning of the flowering of our redemption. According to this view, Jerusalem is no longer a destroyed ruin, but rather a flourishing city and the capital of the Jewish State. Thus, we no longer need to mourn for the destruction of Jerusalem and Tisha B'Av should be abolished!

Personally, I take a middle position. Tisha B'Av is still important. It reminds us of the suffering of Jews in the past. It also reminds us the Jerusalem and Israel have not been fully redeemed. There is still far to go before the State of Israel and the People of
Israel will be able to rest in peace, unchallenged by enemies. At the same time, the founding of the State of Israel, with its capital in Jerusalem, does herald a new age in Jewish history. So I choose to observe a partial day of mourning on Tisha B'Av. I fast beginning in the evening of Tisha B'Av. I lead my congregation in the reading of the book of Lamentations which describes in detail the destruction of the first Temple of Jerusalem. I then end my fasting and mourning after noon and the recitation of the Mincha (afternoon) prayers. In this way I acknowledge that our mourning is tempered by the joy of Israel's rebirth.

This is my personal practice. Each of us should examine the history and customs of Tisha B'Av. It should not be ignored. How we choose to observe it, is our own choice.

We will gather for our Tisha B'Av services and the reading of the Book of Lamentation on Monday night, July 19 at 7:30 PM. There will be NO minyan on Tuesday night, July 20.

Rabbi Martin I. Sandberg