Tag Archives: 9th of Av

Who’s Fault?

Yesterday was Tisha B’Av or the ninth of the month of Av. I’ve written about the 9th of Av or Tisha B’Av a few times.  But a quick refresher from Chabad.org 18 Tisha B’Av Facts Every Jew Should Know Just a bit

  1. Tisha B’Av Is the Saddest Day of the Jewish Calendar

Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av (Jul. 26-27, 2023), is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. Referred to by the prophet as “the fifth [month] fast,”1 it is second in severity only to Yom Kippur, which is mandated in the Torah.

  1. It Commemorates Several Tragic Events

Both Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on this date. The First Temple was burned by the Babylonians in 423 BCE and the Second Temple fell to the Romans in 70 CE, unleashing a period of suffering from which our nation has never fully recovered.

In fact, the tragedies of the 9th of Av predate the destruction of the Temples: this was the date upon which the spies returned from the Promised Land with frightening reports and the Israelites balked at the prospect of entering the land.

In 133 CE, the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans ended in defeat. The Jews of Betar were butchered on the 9th of Av and the Temple Mount was plowed on the same date.

Later on in our history, many more catastrophic events happened on this day, including the 1290 expulsion of England’s Jews and the 1492 banishment of all Jews from Spain.

Also events that affected the whole world, as in the start of both world wars.

But this is more about why the temples were destroyed. As Rabbi Tovia says in the following clip, some will say the Babylonians did it (The First Temple) some will say the Romans did it (The Second Temple) but no, actually it was because of the hatred we had for each other.

Baseless hatred. This is probably something that should have a bit of rumination as both Israel and America are bitterly divided right now. There are similarities. The fomenting of hatred and division is coming from the left in both countries now and it’s reaching a fever pitch.

In Israel the division is manufactured by the left and financed by NGOs, the US State Department (tax dollars that haven’t yet been laundered in Ukraine) George Soros and the like. They have admitted that, just not the amounts. The vehicle chosen for this is something called “Judicial Reform” and it is sorely needed.

Moshe Feiglin made the comment recently that “The left would be willing to burn down the country just as long it would be them standing on top of the ashes proclaiming they’re taking over the power.”

The IDF like the American military has been taken over by the left. IDF doctors are also threatening to not show up to work. The IDF including the upper echelon are apparently willing to abandon their country for their devotion to the left, a country with no borders and a religion unto itself. Before American readers feel to smug about this, may I just say Mark Miley, Lloyd Austin and Rachel Levine? Those are strong military leaders? To the left the goal is to demolish the more conservative right, not protect their country.

I listened to a podcast recently and I really wanted to have this column done before the 9th of Av, but that didn’t happen.

So in case you don’t want to listen to the whole thing, here are my points. Judicial reform; in Israel no one including the left is questioning the results of the election they lost. They don’t use voting machines or have drop boxes. It was an honest election. The left lost as most knew they would. So the left does what the left does, they hold their activist Supreme Court so they know they can still get their way. The Israeli Supreme Court is not elected, the members of the Knesset are, by the people. The Knesset make the kind of laws they said they would when they were campaigning. For example, Israel has illegal invaders as well. The illegal invaders have made South Tel Aviv very dangerous, which is bad because that’s where the Central bus terminal is, but even without that, it’s scary. So, the Knesset passed a law, if you’re an illegal invader you no longer get Israeli tax dollars to support you. Go home. They were trying to remove some of the incentives for the illegal invaders to hang around. Yea!! At one time 80% of the Knesset has talked about judicial reform, including the left. The Israeli Supreme Court said nope you can’t do that. Think of a Supreme Court made up of Sotomayors, Jackson Brown, Kagen and the like. You know, useless stupid people that lie. Their whole court is like that. So really, the average Israeli citizens have no representation. Meanwhile the MSM and the leftwing Non-Governmental Organizations who flood Israel with money and influence have convince far too many citizens that their elected officials, that they voted for, being able to pass and implement laws is a threat to democracy. So they are out in the street disrupting lives and traffic, threatening law makers and generally acting the fool. And as Dr. Mordechai notes, the protests against the law and the attempt to overthrow the elected government was in place before the election even happened. It gets really interesting at 4:24 in. Ok, the whole thing is interesting.

In America, we have a President that has clearly betrayed our country. Every decision, every statement harms average Americans and aids either a country that has given his crime family large amounts of money or the illegal invaders flooding our country, many of them young single men of military age. How long before New York looks like France burning? Where and when will the first acts of terrorism occur that the left will try to use to limit the rights of law abiding citizens occur?

I recently heard or read a statement that a certain percentage of viewers of CNN and MSNBC are unaware of any of the Biden crime family’s activities. Unaware! And having in the past had a conversation with consumers of those type of “information” outlets I can tell you pretty confidently that any attempts to offer information or an alternative viewpoint will be met with a parrot like croak of “Fox news talking point”. That’s all they can say. Unless their quoting a medical paper written in Rolling Stone magazine. I’m not even making that one up.

Wayne Allen Root makes the case that the national divorce is already happening. That productive responsible citizens are fleeing blue states with their high taxes, crime, and corruption for red states. I’m sure they are, if they are fortunate enough to have the means to flee.

But it’s more about the mindset of those that choose to live in the left’s alternative reality where Hunter Biden, who has been selling access to his father for years is just a poor boy with a “problem” and his Dad the president is just standing by his son, “A father’s love” according to the harpies on The View and the left wing propaganda outlets. Nope, a corrupt family hanging together. And no matter how much evidence is presented, they will be unaware of it.

There is a reason for the divisive hatred boiling in both countries. And it’s all stemming from the left, they foment and feed it. And the propaganda arm disseminates it. Yes, neither country really has a functional military or an actual justice system. America is functioning more as a banana republic than a serious country at this point. But I find it incredibly sad that the day after the 9th of Av both countries are so bitterly divided, and in both countries,  it comes from the same direction. Both countries were founded on G-dly principles and the left is trying to destroy that as much as anything I think, as they try to take down both countries. Moshe Feiglin is correct and this bitter division has cost dearly before. Have we learned nothing? I believe, I truly do, we need to pray for Israel to accept their sovereignty and build the Third Temple. I think that would be a good first step in beginning to right the world.

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Missing the Temple and Unity

As we head into Tisha B’Av, I have a few thoughts. Of course I do. Tisha B’Av is the day we re-feel the lose of the two Temples. The place where G-d said I want to live among you, build me a home. First the Mishkan in the desert, later the two Temples. Tisha B’Av is a 25 hour fast, and there are many customs that accompany the date.

Chabad has a list of tragedies that occurred on the 9th of Av, Tisha B’Av. This year it is 30th July 2020.

I’ve done columns as well. This one is quite applicable. Tisha B’Av from within.

I listened to a very interesting audio show the other day on a Podcast called “Soul Talk”, this episode dealt with the 9th of Av.

The Cliff notes version: It wasn’t about the building, the Temple being destroyed because our behavior had already destroyed was it was about. The core and foundation of it were already weakened by our lack of realization of G-d’s presence within ourselves and others. How we related to ourselves and others. There were 3 key violations that were taking place within the populace at the time. If we sense the presence of G-d within ourselves, how do we relate to ourselves? If we sense the presence of G-d in others, how do we relate to them? The first Temple was destroyed because of 3 cardinal sins, murder, idolatry, and sexual perversion. Murder violates my relationship with others, idolatry violates my relationship with G-d and sexual perversion violates my relationship with myself. It all comes from the feeling is G-d with us? Is he within us? When that’s gone, everything is gone. What hope is there for a world that doesn’t believe in themselves, that doesn’t believe the human being is inherently valuable?

And contained within that, is lack of unity, a lack of cohesiveness. And are we ever there today. The continually changing rules on lockdowns, the stifling of data on actual scientific studies, the denial of information to the American people by big (leftist) corporations is having a horrifying effect on people.

I don’t know if this woman was crazy because she is re-breathing her own CO2, or if her mask fit too tight on her little head. But this woman felt it was her right to attack and mace a couple and their puppy having a little picnic outside in the sunshine and fresh air in a dog park. Why? Because they weren’t wearing masks while they had their little picnic. No one was around them, they were easily socially distancing over the 6 feet outside. Because, you know, safety right? It’s all about protecting lives……by screaming at innocent people, flipping them off and then macing them. Thank goodness neither of them seem to be asthmatic! Poor puppy, only 3 months old. I hope the police find the left wing dingbat and press charges. There is a video. This insane marxist feels entitled to act like this and commit assault in broad daylight. How many others have been so socially conditioned by the MSM #FakeNews to believe they will die and the world will end if free speech isn’t stifled and individuality isn’t stamped out? Masks for all!

Masked Speech

Continuing further with the sense of entitlement we have those that block law abiding citizens from using public roads. Doesn’t matter if they are going to work, an ambulance running a call or taking their kid home from tap dance lessons. We’ve all I’m sure, seen the videos of the peaceful rioters attacking cars breaking windows and pulling the drivers out to be beaten. Heard the terrified people calling 9-1-1 begging for someone to come help them only to be told their city council has given approval for citizens to be attacked and the police will not come. We’ve heard children crying hysterically in the background as their parents are unable to protect them and they know it. And these “peaceful rioters” feel entitled to treat citizens in this manner.

Terrified Woman Mobbed by Violent Protesters, Hits Gas to Escape — Police Won’t Arrest Her and Let Her Drive on Home

I’m giving you all the tweets the rioter sent out. She feels totally within her rights to do this to another human being. G-d bless the police on this one.

The mob banged on her car, beat her windows, jumped on her hood, screamed at her and threatened the poor woman who just wanted to escape their violence….

As we blocked streets, certain drivers got annoyed and attempted to maneuver their way around us. This particular white woman tried to cut through a gas station. Me and a couple other protestors stood in front of her car and demanded she turn around. Instead she steps on the gas. pic.twitter.com/ODL1Evmmzf

— Julia Clark🇧🇷 (@Jsc_35) July 26, 2020

Finally cops come but instead of arresting this woman, or asking for her ID, registration, etc., they turn towards us and begin pushing us. We are BEGGING them to arrest this woman who just tried to run over protestors repeatedly. pic.twitter.com/GUP7wWmDBs

— Julia Clark🇧🇷 (@Jsc_35) July 26, 2020

After about 40 minutes, police FINALLY ask for her ID and she claims she is too scared to give it to them because protestors “might take it”. In the meantime myself and other witnesses give our information to officers. pic.twitter.com/2upyodRSGw

— Julia Clark🇧🇷 (@Jsc_35) July 26, 2020

After all this time of pushing protestors and protecting this violent white woman, the MPD LET HER DRIVE HOME. Shoving and grabbing protestors who tried to stop her. Police treated us like threats, when she was clearly dangerous.

— Julia Clark🇧🇷 (@Jsc_35) July 26, 2020

Police didn’t do XXXi. They have never done XXX. Will never do XXX. And will never BE XXX. XXX the police. This is a hate crime. Find this woman.

— Julia Clark🇧🇷 (@Jsc_35) July 26, 2020

This is exactly why we need to defund MPD. MPD does not protect citizens utilizing their right to protest, they protect a woman who tried to run over protestors. Police DON’T keep us safe. The only thing police are good at is brutalizing Black people. DEFUND MPD.

— Julia Clark🇧🇷 (@Jsc_35) July 26, 2020

She feels, as Rabbi Aaron talked about that the poor drivers are just a means to an end. The rioting thug is allowed to treat people however she wants to show her displeasure and get what she wants. Means to an end.

Another peaceful rioter didn’t come out so well. Leftist Protester Shot and Killed by Driver in Austin as Crowd Blocked Intersection

Car Drives Through Mob of Protesters on Colorado Highway, Protester Shoots Fellow Protesters While Trying to Shoot Driver

We’ve probably all seen the video of the peaceful rioters trying to throw smoke grenades into horse trailers on the highway.

I don’t think there is any resolution to be reached with these people. And we aren’t suppose to compromise with evil. I do believe our country is at the edge of a precipice.

I believe our culture has descended into the darkness that is like when we lost the Temples. The 9th of Av isn’t just about grieving the loss of them.

The Jerusalem Talmud states: “If the Holy Temple is not rebuilt in your lifetime, it’s as though it were destroyed in your lifetime.” The commentaries learn from this that the Temple’s destruction is an ongoing event.

I’m feeling the loss, I miss my Synagogue, I miss being in my community, I miss hearing Rabbi teach, I miss a ton of things and it’s all because we are missing the presence of the Beit HaMikdash.

We are ready, there is a organization The Temple Institute that has been training priests so they are ready, they are raising red heifers and have potential candidates, they have crafted the tools needed for the service. You can also see pictures.

בבקשה אבא בקרוב

רק עכשיו

רק היום

צום קל

Please father, soon

Right now

Right today.

May you have an easy fast (for those that are going to fast)

iJulia Clark has a potty mouth. I cleaned it up a bit.

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Tisha B’Av 5779

The 9th of Av, Tisha B’Av, was actually on Saturday, but since we do not allow anything to interfere with Sabbath joy, the fasting and observance is moved to the next day. The 9th of Av was observed (not really celebrated) on the 10th of Av this year. The 9th of Av is the saddest of days, it has a long history of tragedy going to back to when the spies came back from the land of Israel and slandered it by lying and saying they could never take the land, there were giants, and, and, and. Only Joshua and Caleb spoke well and truthfully about it. The people unwisely believed the other 10 of the spies. Sort of like people who today chose to believe the mainstream media #MSM with their #FakeNews. Just because a lot of them are saying it doesn’t make it true.

You can read a list of the happenings on the 9th of Av here The most calamitous Jewish day or I’ve done articles listing them as well.

I recently watched a video a fellow writer (thank you Y.B.) sent me of The Rebbe discussing antisemitism.

It was very interesting. I guess The Rebbe really never talked about it that much. He absolutely knew it was real, and his family had been a victim of it more than once. He believed we need to first rely on G-d. If G-d doesn’t guard the home (or nation) the guard keeps watch in vain. First we must make sure G-d is guarding the home, and thereafter we must hire the guards for “we may not rely on miracles”. Everything must have a foothold in nature. And once we’re doing everything physically possible through the laws of nature- indeed that’s the Torah way, the verse states G-d will bless you in all you do. Lest you think you can sit and await G-d’s salvation. The verse emphasizes in all that you do, you must work within the laws of nature. This is a part I want to talk about. Another part was when he talked about the way to influence a group of people to stop being antisemitic is to work with those at the top of the movement, not so much the people involved in it, but the leaders of it. This worked in the case of the Crown Heights Riots.

This is not working out well within the Demoncratic party. These are from a variety of sources.

Democrats Need Anti-Semites to Win

Democrats Can’t Bring Themselves to Denounce Antisemitism

Democrats won’t fight anti-Semitism

Democrats Won’t Condemn Ilhan Omar’s Anti-Semitism Because Their Younger Base Is Increasingly Hostile To Israel

Any attempts to confront the leaders with statements made or positions or actions take are met with howls of “raaaaccciissstttt”. Even though no one is talking about their race, only their actions.

Who does he think I am?

 

It’s interesting, G-d gave Israel to the Jewish people, he gave other land to other people. From Deuteronomy 2:

Turn northward and command the people, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water of them for money, that you may drink. For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”’ So we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber.

And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.’

Nobody howls about that, no one is calling those countries apartheid or racist, or oppressive. Even if they are. In fact, no matter how any arab country treats Jews, Christians, Gays, or women, or dogs. Not a word is said. Odd that, eh? Only Jewish Israel.

But back to the Rebbe’s talk, it’s only if G-d is guarding the house, and Demoncrats are also doing their best to throw him out of the country, and life.

The destruction of the two Temples, both on the 9th of Av was horrific. The siege of Jerusalem was horrific. The results of those tragedies are still felt today. Jews are not allowed to pray on Har HaBeit, and often not allowed to visit on special holy days as muslims always seem to come up with a muslim holiday to co-opt the day. And sadly, Bibi always seems to cave to the muslims. If you want to talk about cultural appropriation, here ya go. An appeal to moderate Arabs on Tisha Be Av. Nope it’s not your imagination that mosques often seem to be built of top of churches and synagogues the muslims have destroyed. Remember when they wanted to build on at the site of the attack on the Twin Towers? Yeah, there was a reason for that.

So first we make sure G-d is guarding the house, then we hire the guards. For many of us, we are the guards. We are our own first responders. Except those on the left that hate Jews, Israel, conservatives, Christians and anything in a MAGA red hat want to disarm everyone. They keep telling us how much safer we will all be if only everyone is disarmed of any means of defending themselves and their families. And it just can’t wait. San Fran Nan is demanding everyone come back from recess to enact gun control, President Trump’s knee is jerking. Everyone must be disarmed. Right. Now. Why? I’ve wondered if the left is so insistent that people be disarmed because inside they know they can’t be trusted with weapons. Do they feel if they had a gun they would shoot someone over a parking space? Bit by bit as Trump derangement syndrome grows their masks are coming down. The violence against Trump supporters, or anyone they feel is a conservative grows. There was a new movie slated to come out of September 27th, The Hunt which shows liberals hunting down and killing Trump supporters for sport. This is totally acceptable to the left and Hollyweird. I understand it may not be released then in light of the recent attacks by leftists that left so many dead. Again, you know why I don’t go to movies. It’s Universal studio if you’re curious.

Anytime there is an attempt to render one group of people defenseless, it is not going to turn out well. When only the government has weapons, it is not going to turn out well. I’ve heard it said “If your sitting at the poker table wondering who the mark is, it’s you”, or something along those lines.

The Jews fought back fiercely in 70 AD against the siege of Jerusalem against Titus and Rome, but they were so out numbered. Part of the battle relies on having effective weapons, some of which they had seized from previous encounters with the Romans, but the other part is there needs to be enough of them to be effective.

Some lessons don’t change.

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We Are A Miracle

August 13, 2016 was the 9th of Av, or Tisha B’Av 5776. Since nothing is to mar the joy of Shabbat, it was observed on the 14th of August.

I realize, that’s yesterday, but I can’t let it go without sharing a couple things.

The first is something wonderful I got from my teammate, Y.B. a wonderful true story honoring the spirit and commitment of  Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam.

Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam
Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam

 Defiance on a Death March
The Klausenberger Rebbe z’tl on 9 Av

Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam became one of the youngest rebbes in Europe, leading thousands of followers in the town of Klausenburg, Romania, before World War II. His wife, eleven children and most of his followers were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

In the summer of 1944 the Russian Army moved west and pushed the Nazis further and further back across Poland into Germany. The Germans, in an effort to cover their crimes forced thousands of slave labourers on death marches across Poland. The Rebbe had previously spent time in Auschwitz and on a work detail in Warsaw, sifting through the rubble of the now vacant Warsaw ghetto on his hands and knees, forced to look for anything that might be of value for the Nazi war effort.

As the Russians moved closer the Rebbe along with 6000 other prisoners were forced to march for twenty miles a day, in the scorching Polish summer. The death camp of Dachau in Germany was to be their final destination of which just 2000 made it.

On the march, the prisoners were starved of food and water and any stragglers were shot immediately. On the day of Tisha B’Av (9th of the Jewish month of Av), Jews mourn the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem as well as many other disasters that have happened on this painful day. One of the signs of mourning of Tisha B’Av is that Jews remove their leather shoes (leather shoes being an inappropriate sign of comfort and luxury on this solemn day).

On this day and on this march, the Rebbe removed his shoes. Despite all that had happened to him, he refused to give up on the Jewish observances that made him who he was. The Nazis saw this as a sign of rebellion and decided to have some fun at the Rebbe’s expense. They made him march alongside the column on broken stones and gravel. They joked as his feet became bloodied and bruised.

At one point they thought he was trying to escape down the embankment so they shot him. He was hit in the arm and tumbled down the embankment. In an effort to stem the bleeding, he took bark and leaves from a tree and wrapped it around the wound. It was at that point in his life, when faced with such unimaginable pain, hatred and adversity that the Rebbe demonstrated forever that there is no depth from which the human spirit cannot rise.

It was at that point that he swore to God that should he survive he would build an institution based on the Jewish values of love, peace, equality and tolerance, all of the values the Nazis despised. He swore that he would build a hospital in the land of Israel that would epitomise everything the Nazis tried to destroy.

Today, that hospital is Laniado in Netanya.The hospital was built in 1974. After the maternity unit was opened, the Rebbe asked the nurses and staff to call him immediately when the first baby was born. A few days later he received the call with the good news. Upon hearing, the Rebbe said in a broken voice, ‘zeh ha nekama sheli’, ‘this is my revenge’. This is my revenge – life will defeat death, hope will defeat pain, compassion will overcome hatred.

May this Tisha B’Av be the last before our mourning is turned into joy and celebration.

And this one I have for you.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I seem to have some dust in my eye.

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