At sundown this evening, the 9th of Av, Jews all around the world will begin a 25 hour period of mourning. We mourn the loss of the great Temple in Jerusalem, and all that it symbolized. We lament the loss of our national unity and the special Temple connection. We hope and pray for a complete redemption and the messianic era of peace, harmony and sprirituality.
(Read my thoughts on Tisha B’Av from last year: Mourning The Living On The 9th of Av)
Most people are familiar with the custom to fast for 25 hours as a sign of our mourning. We suffer to try and feel what we are missing. For many people, Tisha B’Av is a fast day and nothing else.
That is tragic.
Over on DovBear, (God’s Thoughts on Tisha B’Av) my good friend Henoch has posted a very insightful anecdote from Zecharia Chapter 7:
As the second Temple was being rebuilt, the Jews had been keeping the 4 fast days related to the destruction for the last 70 years. It occurred to residents of Bavel that perhaps these fasts were obsolete. After all, the Temple was being rebuilt, so why would they continue to mourn over its destruction? They assembled a delegation to go to Jerusalem where the halachic question would be brought to the leadership that still included Neviim. The answer given by God through Zechariah Hanavi is quite surprising and would be considered completely inappropriate had anyone else given that answer.
At first the question of whether to fast or not, is ignored. Then Zechariah said in the name of God that when Jews eat at times that they deem appropriate, or fast when they decide to fast, they do so because it is what they think will serve their own interests. It isn’t necessarily for the right reasons. Zechariah essentially states that our idea of fasting misses the mark and even questions its’ sincerity. He then goes further and says in the name of God what would be a more proper approach to the subject. He says that the correct approach to this problem is to
“Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.”
Being that the Jews ignored these basic ideas, they were exiled and scattered across the world.
God is looking at us and saying, it is quite simple, and it has always been quite simple. I don’t want false piety or even grand programs that are limited to fasting and davening. If you want to do them, that is your decision. But don’t lose sight of what I want. God says “I want honesty, compassion and love”.
We cannot allow the secondary customs and practices to become primary. We cannot become so wrapped up in our customs, such as fasting, and forget the direct commandments from God.
We know what we need to do.
Please do not merely fast this year on Tisha B’Av. Take the lessons of Zecharia 7 and try to be the best we can be in all of our actions.
For a summary of the laws and customs of Tisha B’Av click here: Tisha B’Av – Aish.com.
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