Tisha B'Av ... From Sorrow to Hope

By Joseph Gray, Canadian Director

Tisha B’Av (the 15th of Av) is a Jewish fast day that falls this year on August 10. Other than the fast of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Tisha B’Av is the most solemn day of remembrance in the Jewish calendar. What is it that makes this day so somber and why do Jewish people fast on it?

According to both history and rabbinic tradition, at least seven great tragedies befell the Jewish people on this date in history.

1. The rabbis teach that, on this day, God decreed the generation of Israelites in the desert would not enter the Promised Land because of their disbelief and willingness to accept the bad report of the unbelieving spies.

2. On this day in 587 BC, Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the armies of Babylon.

3. On this day in 70 AD, Herod’s temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army.

4. On this day in 135 AD, the last remaining Jewish stronghold of the Bar Kochbar rebellion was defeated by the Roman army at Betar.

5. On this day in 136 AD, the city of Jerusalem was completely plowed under by the Roman occupiers and Jews were forbidden to settle there by Roman law.

6. On this day in 1095 AD, the first crusade was launched, bringing great suffering and bloodshed to the scattered Jewish community across Europe and the Mid-East.

7. On this day in 1492, King Ferdinand expelled from Spain the 170,000 Jews living there under his rule.

Were all these tragic events simply an unhappy coincidence? Not according to many voices from the rabbinic tradition.

The book of the Bible traditionally read on Tisha B’Av is the Book of Lamentations. Tradition says that this book was written by the prophet Jeremiah at the time of the Babylonian exile. As well, the Hebrew name of Lamentations, “Aikah,” implies a plaintive dirge, “How could this happen?”

The rabbinic commentary on the book of Lamentations found in the Midrash Rabah draws an interesting parallel between the disobedience of Adam and the disobedience of Israel. Adam, whose Hebrew name may also mean “man” or “mankind” is representative of the human condition. In the opening chapters of Genesis, we read that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and gave him His (God’s) commandment. Adam disobeyed God’s commandment so God punished him (Adam) by driving him from the Garden. Interestingly, the same Hebrew word, “Aikah” (the title of the book of Lamentations), is spoken from the lips of God at the time of Adam’s disobedience (Genesis 3). This word is usually translated “Where are you?” and becomes God’s lament for the human condition after the fall. God lamented over Adam.

Rabbi Abbahu, writing in his commentary on Lamentations, draws a direct parallel between Adam’s fall and expulsion from Eden and Israel’s disobedience to God and expulsion from the Land into exile.

* Citing Hosea 6:7, he writes that the Israelites, like Adam, have transgressed God’s covenant.

* Like Adam, God placed Israel in the midst of a beautiful and bountiful land (Jeremiah 2:7).

* Like Adam, God gave His people Israel commandments (Deuteronomy 4:1).

* Israel, like Adam, transgressed those commandments (Daniel 9:5).

* God punished Israel, as He did Adam, by driving them from the Land (Hosea 9:15).

* As with Adam, God laments concerning fallen Israel’s condition.

How could this happen (Aikah)? Another Jewish rabbi, named Saul (the Apostle Paul), gives us the answer.

* Each of us, like Adam, has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

* The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Jesus (Romans 6:23).

In the midst of our sad remembrance of these tragic historic events from Jewish history, we are reminded of hope! Here is the greatest hope of all. Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah has come that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

The temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed. We lament its destruction on Tisha B’Av. Like Yeshua’s first disciples, we long for the day of His return and the full restoration of Messiah’s Kingdom. Now as we wait that glorious day of Messiah’s return, we wait with hope and assurance. God has given us His living Spirit to dwell in us; we are His holy temple and dwelling place (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Like Yeshua’s disciple Yochanan (John), we see past this earthly veil of tears and begin to see clearly, descending from heaven, a renewed and glorious temple, shining with the light of Messiah in the midst of the New Jerusalem.