Lessons from the 9th of Av to 7/10/23 and beyond

The fast of the 9th day of the month of Av (Tisha be-Av in Hebrew) is marked today, a fast which commemorates the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians (in 586 BCE), and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans (in 70 BCE). Through this day of mourning, we remember two of the darkest events in Jewish history.

This is the 2nd time that this fast is marked since the horrible stream of events that commenced on Oct. 7th, 2023, when the HAMAS launched their murderous attack on Israel. This was followed by the still-ongoing war, which has resulted in thousands of fatalities, and countless wounded, scarred, homeless, starving and captured soldiers and civilians, in Israel, in Gaza, and in various countries in the Middle East.

But this is not something that is unknown – even if it is an ongoing horror that continues to unfold. In fact, this is very well known to many.

Here I would like to point out something else – connecting between the circumstances that led to the destruction of the temples in Jerusalem, by the Babylonians and again by the Romans. In both cases, the leadership in Jerusalem read the geo-political map very poorly and believed that revolting against large empires (the Neo-Babylonian and the Roman) would bring victory, with the help of the God of Israel. Unfortunately, in both cases, there were mistaken, and these costly gambles caused the Jewish people to go through horrible tragedies for centuries.

This is particularly the case in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, which was followed by centuries upon centuries of exile, persecution, pogroms, holocausts and other horrible events that befell the Jewish people. More so, in the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Jews in the Land of Israel were led by ultra-nationalist and messianic Zealots, who not only pushed to revolt against the Romans, but fought between each other to show who could be more zealous in their actions. All this with horrendous results.

These historical lessons are important to heed in our times. Unfortunately, the government and coalition that has been running the State of Israel in the last 3 years or so are comprised of many zealots and messianics. Not only have they acted, and still do, in constant displays of poor leadership, abysmal planning, faulty actions and misguided vision, their constant exhibition of unrealistic political statements and geopolitical actions, have pushed Israel into a place where many people, throughout the world, view the State of Israel as a pariah state.

It is as if the events leading to the destruction of Jerusalem by Romans are repeating themselves. Will Israel be led to destruction by zealots and messianics? And will Judaism be forced to survive without political autonomy for centuries? Or, will the citizens of Israel realize that we are on the cusp of a disaster, and demand that our leadership be changed, through democratic elections, elections which must be held NOW – and not in a year or so – so that a responsible, realistic and viable leadership can be chosen for the State of Israel.

Now is the time! Will we be dragged towards oblivion and destruction by zealous leadership? Or we wake up in time to change the course of history!

“How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.”

(Lamentations 1:1-5)