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Somber Tisha b'av is also
tribute to triumph of life
BY IRVING GREENBERG
Special to The Jewish News
The Ninth of Av is the four years of unremitting
worst day in Jewish history. warfare, weakened by siege,
82.00
75.00
Over three millenia, some of starvation and civil war, the
the greatest disasters of Jews yielded Jerusalem. On
riot '
Jewish history started or the 9th of Av, the Romans
FREE HOME ESTIMATES PLUS FREE INSTALLATION
ended on this day. Yet the set fire to the Temple
Rabbis, reversing the plain mount.
The Jews refused to quit.
meaning of a verse in
Lamentations (1:15), called In the years 115-117, there
the day a "moed," a were widespread rebellions
by Diaspora Jewry which
festival-to-be.
STANDARD
2%, 3%, 4%
Given the numerous were bloodily suppressed. In
MOVABLE
tragedies that occurred on 132, the remaining popula-
• VERTICAL
this date, what could one tion of Judea revolted, led
OFF I
ever celebrate on this day? by Simon Bar Kochba, a
LOUVER
The land of Israel is would-be messiah. Again,
situated on the land bridge the overwhelming might of
between Asia, Africa, and Rome was brought to bear.
Europe, making it an in- Bar Kochba withdrew to the
evitable target for expand- city of Bethar where he and
SOUTHFIELD 20215 Southfield Rd. (N. of 12 Mlle)
ing empires. In 721 BCE, his remaining troops were
In Farrell'e Shop Cantor M W WA Th. 10-8, F/S 10-8; Sun. 12-4
the Northern Kingdom of destroyed. Bethar fell on the
LIVONIA 33710 Plymouth Rd. (W. of Form. Rd.)
Israel, comprising Ten 9th of Av. The remaining-
,M-8 10-5, Sun..12-4
Tribes, was conquered by population of Judea was de-
Now Design Coen
Assyria; its population was ported. Jews were prohib-
FARMINGTON HILLS, 31205 Orchard Lake Rd.
exiled never to return. In ited from entering
(In Loehman's
MON.,
TUES.,THURS.,
SAT.
10-5:30,
WED.,
FRI.,
10-9,
SUN.
12-4
Hunters Square)
597 BCE, Babylonia, the Jerusalem.
ST
With this defeat, hopes
destroyer of Assyria, cap-
.4APPOHMIBIT
1
tured the kingdom of Judah. for restoration of the Tem-
Ignoring Jeremiah's ple were set back indefi-
Swim in our outdoor and indoor
prophetic advice to wait nitely. The three weeks
pools. Play Tennis. Jog, enjoy
patiently for another day, from 17 Tammuz to 9 Av
Free Aerobics, exercise on Nautilus
egged on by Egypt, King were turned into a period of
and Universal equipment, dine
Zedekiah
revolted. Babylo- grief — no marriages, no
in our Restaurant or Lounge, you
nian punishment was swift; haircuts, no celebrations.
name it. It's Southfields most
the Temple was burned The rabbis insisted that
luxurious Health and Social Club.
down and the population mourning was proper but
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extreme sadness would be
exiled.
initiation.
The destruction and exile unlivable. The fast days
caused a crisis of faith and were made mandatory but
politics — but the years celibacy was rejected.
11:1;r4.
from 721 to 586 BCE had
11
The rabbis interpreted
been well used. The de- the catastrophe as a call to
11111;1 1 11 111 0;#1.4
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velopment of classical the Jewish people. God had
whh. —•
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prophecy with its strong "withdrawn" to draw the
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emphasis that spiritual and Jewish people to greater
I :0 11 kl
1 • .1 1
ethical relationship to God participation in the cove-
al I
was more important than nant. Learning, prayer, and
cult or land made the Ju- observances were expanded
deans more capable of sur- until every aspect of life was
viving the experience of turned into a religious ex-
exile.
perience. Later generations
111 ' I
Four days — the 10th of saw in the Destruction and
Tevet (the day the siege be- Exile the symbol of ongoing
gan), the 17th of Tammuz Jewish suffering and op-
(the day Jerusalem's walls pression. Later tragedies
were breached), the 3rd of (such as Crusades, pogroms,
Tishri (the day the last etc.) were incorporated into
Jewish governor of Judea this day. Repeated de-
was killed), and the day of structions were goads to
destruction itself — were greater commemoration
established as days of and increased observance.
mourning and reflection.
In 1492, Spanish Jewry
The people were taught that was expelled from Spain —
they were being punished on the 9th of Av. In the af-
for betraying the covenant
but that God still cared de-
eply. Instead of yielding to
despair and political force
majeure, the surviving
Jews became more reli-
Iniall 111411111
Los Angeles (JTA) — The
giously faithful than before.
following Jewish athletes
Community gatherings,
Shabbat, prayer and study are on the United States
UNU
were strengthened in Olympic teams:
JUDO: Bob Berland,
Babylonia. After the return,
1 1 1 1 1 0 i. despite building a Second Wilmette, Ill.
PISTOL: Ronald Krels-
Temple during the Second
Presented by:
Commonwealth,
Commonealth, Jews con- tein, . Memphis. Herb
Birmingham,
HALL REAL
tinued to observe the fast Rosenbaum,
Ala.
I
-m 1 11 111 1111111
ESTATE GROUP
il I
days optionally. Memory of
FENCING:
Jeffrey
the tragedy was turned into
a- continuing spur to reli- Bukantz, foil. Russ Wilson,
sabre.. Edgar House, sabre.
gious faithfulness.
Athletic & Social lub
Joel Glucksman, sabre.
In the First Century, the
CYCLIST: Doug Shapiro,
30333 Southfield Rd. (between 12 & 13 Mile Rds.)
Roman Empire established University of Florida. •
hegemony over the land of
COACHES: Duglas Beal,
Israel . A full-scale revolt Cleveland, men's vol-
- --
rup , in the ear 66,After. ,
eted
-Arie
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tershock of this great disas-
ter, a new form of mysti-
cism, Lurianic Kabbalah,
was developed and spread
throughout Jewry. The ex-
pulsion and exile were in-
terpreted as reflections of
cosmic brokenness. The
Tisha B'av period became
even more central a day in
the calendar but the sorrow
was channeled into raising
the standard of religious
and communal behavior.
Some Kabbalists went up
to Israel and generated a
great flowering of mysti-
cism in the city of Safed.
Around the world, a new
wave of religious obser-
vances spread throughout
the Jewish community. A
practice of arising at mid-
night for special mourning
rites for the Temple was es-
tablished. Prayers were in-
creased and infused with
mystical intentions. Mysti-
cism —heretofore an elitist,
esoteric doctrine — became
the possession of the masses
and was applied to everyday
behavior.
On July 22, 1942, during
the Holocaust, the mass de-
portations from Warsaw to
Treblinka were begun. the
date was the 9th of Av. (The
Nazis had. a policy of
scheduling aktions, round-
ups, and mass killings for
Jewish holidays.)
The fundamental Jewish
teaching is that life will
tri2mph in this world. In no
other people's history is the
devil's evidence — the
power Of death — so man-
ifest. Therefore, faithful-
ness to the covenant has
demanded an extraordinary
increase of life and building
in response to each catas-
trophe. By the power of love
and hope, disaster has re-
peatedly been harnessed as
a force for increasing life.
Tisha B'ay.is a tribute to the
inexhaustibility of life.
When the full redemption is
achieved, it will become a
celebration of the people
who would not die.
Copyright 1984, the National
Jewish Resource Center.
Jewish athletes carry U.S.
to gold in Los Angeles
11g
"1 " 1 1 1111.
AN!LACE
HAMILTC
CALL NOW 646-8990
ibliN'AA4iwAig4tt, d4Ct
rael, women's volleyball.
Able Grossfeld, University
of Connecticut, men's gym-
nastics. Mel Rosen, Auburn,
assistant track and field.
Alla Svirsky, rhythmic
gymnastics. Paul Katsen,
wrestling.
GYMNASTICS: Mitch
•
Gaylord, UCLA.
TRACK and FIELD:
Gary Williky, Arizona State
Univergity, Shotput and
Discus: Boris Djerass,
Northeastern University,
Hammer Throw.. Brian
Mondschien, Decathlon.
WOMEN'S MARATHON:
jreno.D.ailitlickarita
4
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14.
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