Monday, July 24, 2017

Halocho #1871 - Why do we fast on Tish'a B'Av?

Unless Moshiach comes first, בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, the fast of תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב will start next week on Monday afternoon and will last for about 25 hours until after nightfall on Tuesday.

The fast of תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב commemorates 5 tragedies that befell the Jewish people on that date:

  •  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 over 3,000 years ago
  •  The first בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ was destroyed on תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב almost 2,500 years ago.
  •  The second בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ was destroyed on תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב about 1950 years ago.
  •  The city of Betar was captured and tens of thousands of Jews were killed about 1,800 years ago.
  •  The wicked Turnus Rufus plowed the site of the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ and its surroundings and renamed it Aelia Capitolina, about 1,800 years ago.
Since these tragedies occurred on תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב, 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)
  •  World War 1 started in 5674 - 1 August 1914 - with Germany declaring war on Russia
Chodesh Tov

- Danny
Monday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5777


וְתִשְׁעָה בְּאָב
 בּוֹ בַיּוֹם נִגְזַר עַל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁבַּמִּדְבָּר שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְֹרָאֵל, כִּי אָז חָזְרוּ הַמְרַגְלִים, וּבָכוּ יִשְֹרָאֵל בְּכִיָּה שֶׁל חִנָּם, וְנִקְבַּע לִבְכִיָּה לְדוֹרוֹת
 וּבוֹ בַיּוֹם הָיָה הַחֻרְבָּן הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנֶּחְרַב בּוֹ בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָרִאשוֹן
 וְגַם הַשֵּׁנִי
וְנִלְכְּדָה הָעִיר בֵּיתָר, שֶׁהָיְתָה עִיר גְּדוֹלָה, וְהָיוּ בָּהּ אֲלָפִים וּרְבָבוֹת מִיִשְֹרָאֵל
 וּבוֹ בַיּוֹם חָרַשׁ טוּרְנוּסְרוּפוּס אֶת הַהֵיכָל וְאֶת סְבִיבָיו, וְנִתְקַיֵּם הַפָּסוּק צִיּוֹן שָׂדֶה תֵּחָרֵשׁ


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