Sunday, August 3, 2008

Halocho #137 - What is 9 B'Av?

Next Sunday (10 August) is the fast of 9 B'Av which commemorates 5 tragedies that befell the Jewish people on that date:

  1. It was decreed that the generation which left Egypt would remain in the desert for 40 years and not enter the land of Israel, after believing the inaccurate report of 10 of the 12 spies in the year 2449.
  2. The first Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed on 9 B'Av in the year 3339.
  3. The second Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed on 9 B'Av about 1948 years ago.
  4. The city of Betar was captured and tens of thousands of Jews were killed in the year 3893.
  5. The wicked Turnus Rufus plowed the site of the Bet Hamikdash and its surroundings and renamed it Aelia Capitolina, also in the year 3893.
Since these tragedies occurred on 9 B'Av, it was decreed as a day of fasting and mourning. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 121:5 Other tragedies that happened on 9 B'Av:
  • 4,000 Jews were expelled from England by King Edward I in the year 5050 (18 July 1290)
  • 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain by Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon in the year 5252 (2 August 1492)
  • Word War 1 started in 5674 - 1 August 1914 - with Germany declaring war on Russia
- Danny Sunday, 2 Menachem-Av 5768
Please daven for a little girl - TAMAR bat NAAMA - תמר בת נעמה

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