Tisha B'Av Summaries
Va'etchanan 5769-2009
"Tisha B’Av: Never Beyond Redemption" In parashat Va’etchanan we read the portion “Kee to’leed ba’neem,” which is read on Tisha B’Av. It predicts that the Jewish people will stray from G-d and commit horrible sins. And yet, it is one of the most optimistic portions, promising that G-d will welcome us back with open arms no matter how far we stray. link to full |
Va'etchanan 5768-2008“A Hopeful Message for Jewish Future”
Tu B’Av (the 15th day of Av), an ancient day of joy and matchmaking, is observed this year on Friday evening and Shabbat, August 15 and 16, 2008. Happy Tu B’Av. . link to full |
Devarim 5767-2007"Zion Shall be Redeemed through Justice” |
Devarim 5766-2006"Isaiah's Message to Contemporary Jews" The powerful message found in the first chapter of Isaiah is entirely appropriate for the Tisha B'Av period. The prophet exhorts the Jewish people to take the performance of their ritual mitzvot more seriously, to invest deeper meaning in their religious observance, and to enrich these spiritual practices with greater sincerity and passion. Link to full |
Devarim 5764-2004 "Building a 'New' Sanctuary" This has been a difficult and challenging year for the Jewish people. Terror attacks, anti-Semitism, assimilation and intermarriage are on the rise. It has also been a particularly hard year for observant Jews, who have been challenged with the appearance of crustaceans in their waters and wigs that might have been used for idolatry. Perhaps what we need during this period of mourning for the Temple is to spiritually chill-out, to calm down and find a sanctuary in our belief system. |
Devarim 5762-2002 "Judging our People Favorably" The powerful words of Isaiah in this week’s Haftorah resound today with surprising relevance, as if they were pronounced only yesterday. Despite Isaiah’s harsh assessment of the people, we, like the prophet of old, need to look upon the people of Israel and judge them favorably. After all, contemporary Jews face similar challenges to those of the ancients, and need to be judged favorably as well. |
Va’etchanan 5762-2002 One of the kinot, the liturgical poems that are read on Tishah Ba’Av, speaks of the calamity that befell the Jewish communities of the Rhineland, Germany--Worms, Speyer and Mainz (Mayence) in the year 1096 during the First Crusade. The ArtScroll commentary on this poem throws out a profound challenge to the Jewish people today. Will we rise to the occasion and acknowledge the special gift of the land of Israel, or will we ignore it, and continue to compose elegies for the losses that we sustain? |
Devarim 5761-2001 "Eichah- The Annual Search for Meaning and Introspection" In order for the Fast of the 9th of Av to be meaningful, it is necessary for us to focus on the proper message. Eichah and Ay’ekah, are two of the prominent themes of Tisha Ba’Av. G-d asks the Jews: Where are you? What have you done with your lives? How can this tragedy have possibly happened? How can we improve ourselves? |
Devarim 5760-2000 "Judaism’s Unique Views on Justice and the Justice System" In parashat D’varim, Moses gives his valedictory admonition to the Jewish people. Knowing that the entire nation’s security rests on the efficacy of its legal system, Moses reminds the people again and again to be truthful in judgement. In this parasha, Moses lays out the foundation of Jewish jurisprudence, a legal system that was unparalleled in the ancient world. The prophet Isaiah sums it all up by saying that “Zion shall be redeemed in justice and those who return to her shall be redeemed through righteousness.” |