Tisha B’Av — the Ninth of Av
Beth Jacob is observing Tisha B’Av for the first time in many years, on not surprisingly, the 9th day (Tisha) of the Jewish month of Av (B’Av) Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, which this year falls on Monday night, August 12 at 7:30. As most of you know, this is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, with many calamities having been experienced by the Jewish people over the millennia on this day, including the destruction of both the First and Second Temples.
We think that after October 7, more than a few of you whose confidence in Judaism or the State of Israel has been shaken, could use some healthy sorting out. And to help with that endeavor, we will devote Torah study the preceding Shabbat morning, August 10, to the subject of the Jewish perspective of expressing mourning for the past, of the proper way. We learn what we are encouraged to do in our expressions of grief, and what we are absolutely prohibited from doing, notwithstanding the feelings of grief.
For those of you who remain in the community during August, we hope that you will take advantage of one or both of these opportunities relating to Tisha B’Av:
Monday night, August 12, 7:30: Observance of Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av
Shabbat morning, August 10, 10:00 am: Torah study whose subject matter is an understanding of why, and just as importantly, how, we observe periods of mourning such as Tisha B’Av and Shiva Asar B’Tammuz (the 17th day of the Jewish month of Tammuz, three weeks earlier), that both respects the event over which we grieve, but more importantly, how we do so in a manner consistent with our faith.
